one way street

On December 31, [-], the temperature was five degrees.

Today is New Year's Eve, and Xiao Zhi, who is on the big night shift, wants to go to the New Year's Eve with his girlfriend. He called yesterday and asked me to help him with the shift. I agreed, because this kind of festival, I really don't want to stay in the room alone and daydream.

I had to stand for fifteen hours at a stretch, Ah Bao scolded me for being a good person, I lied to Ah Bao that I was short of money, Ah Bao looked at me with a very strange expression, and after a while said: "Do you think I can't see it? "

I understood the meaning of Abao's words, and I felt depressed.

"Give up on him. It's been so long since that day, and he hasn't shown up. Don't you understand what that means? Find someone worthy of your efforts to cherish. Ke Nian is not suitable for you."

I know, I know, from the day I was rejected, from the day Ke Nian scolded me as a disgusting pervert, I stopped holding on to hope, but, just... I still can't forget him.

After that day, Ke Nian no longer appeared in front of my eyes, like a short-lived epiphyllum, and Ke Nian and I are just the past, just clouds, maybe I and him are nothing.

As soon as eleven o'clock arrived, Ah Bao helped to replenish the goods and then got off work.

I am fairly familiar with my colleagues in Daye, and we chatted a few words casually, probably tonight is the New Year's Eve relationship, even though it was already one or two o'clock in the morning, there was still an endless stream of guests from Shangdou.

After being busy for a period of time, the number of talents gradually decreased.

I continued chatting with Xiaoyi from the big night shift, when there was a sudden ding-dong, I subconsciously called out "Welcome", I looked up and saw Ke Nian who hadn't seen each other in the past three weeks, I froze and quickly lowered my head , dare not stare at him again.

My heart was pounding and beating fast, and every beat made me uncomfortable. The vibration was so strong that it seemed that it would pop out of my chest alive in the next second. I gathered the hem of my uniform tightly and continued to chat with Xiaoyi pretending nothing happened.

After browsing the refrigerator, Ke Nian walked over to the counter with no expression on his face. I helped him check out with sweaty palms, "Do you need a shopping bag?" I lowered my head and said.

"Um."

"The total is 130 five yuan."

Ke Nian gave me the exact change, I took it, and quickly handed him the invoice, keeping my gaze between the table and his waist.

When Ke Nian walked out, I couldn't help but glanced at his back. The "disgusting and perverted" that Ke Nian said that day echoed in my ears, and my heart was inexplicably dull.

Yes, this is the end of me and Ke Nian.

He walks his elite way, I live my life, and the two of us will never meet.

I looked back and sighed softly.

"New Year's Eve today, didn't you go out with your friends?" A familiar voice suddenly came from above my head, I looked up with wide eyes, and Ke Nian appeared in front of me with a blank expression.

"You...I..." I stammered, unable to utter a sound for a while, my heart was still shocked besides the shock.

Why why would Ke Nian...

His delicate eyebrows twitched, "Didn't you hear me talking to you?"

I nodded several times in a hurry, afraid that he would get angry, so I turned my head and left. "I... I'll take over for my colleagues."

He said "Oh" and said, "I'm in a bad mood today, you buy me a drink."

Of course I nodded in agreement, and immediately gave him a can of Taiwanese beer from the refrigerator. Ke Nian sat on a round chair in the store, facing the transparent glass wall, holding the can in both hands, sipping sips one by one, his eyes falling. Going out of the glass window, I don't know what I was thinking.

I was mostly happy in my heart, because of Ke Nian's initiative to talk, but I could see that he was not in a good mood, so I didn't go up to bother him.

Half an hour later, Ke Nian finished drinking the can of beer, walked over with a slightly swaying body, his cheeks were a little red, and said calmly, "Thank you for your treat, I'm leaving first."

Ke Nian turned his body to leave, but I quickly shouted at him, "See you another day!"

He seemed to be taken aback for a moment, and then he responded lightly, "Well, see you another day."

After nine o'clock in the evening, as soon as my elder brother stepped into the house, he took a photo with me in the corridor.

I whispered to my eldest brother that I have worked hard.

The eldest brother smiled and said, "Are you going to sleep?"

"us?"

"Isn't it you and Xiang Cheng?"

I was taken aback, and I replied stiffly, "He went back to T City."

"Really? When did it happen?" the eldest brother said again.

"At two or three o'clock in the afternoon, after you and Ke Yang left, he left."

I heard my elder brother say "Hey" again, with a weird look on his face, so I asked, "What's wrong?"

"But I saw him walking on the road when I went to work in the evening... Strange, could it be that I was wrong?"

"Brother, where did you see him?" I felt uneasy.

"I paid more attention to the road leading to the elementary school. I should have read it right..." said the elder brother.

I took out my mobile phone from my pocket and called Xiang Cheng. The call was directly transferred to the voicemail. No one answered.

"How is it, is there anyone to pick it up?"

I shook my head.

"Isn't he still around here?" The eldest brother said with a worried face.

I looked down at the phone screen, dialed once, and it was still transferred to the voicemail. The monotonous and cold broadcast sound was dialed from the microphone, and I hung up the phone. "I still haven't picked up. I'll go outside to look for it." Bending down and putting on my shoes, about to step outside, my elder brother called me from behind: "Xiao Nian, do you want me to accompany you to look for it?"

"Brother, no need, you can make a few phone calls to Xiang Cheng for me later."

I walked all the way along the road that my elder brother mentioned. The night was pitch black, and there were only faint yellow street lights, which was better than no decoration. After nine o’clock in the evening, most of the villagers had already gone to bed, not to mention human figures, even dogs and cats. Didn't see either.

After walking for more than ten minutes, I still found nothing.

After walking a long distance on foot, the soles of my feet began to hurt. The inexplicable anxiety in my heart and the pain in my heels made me angry as I walked, and I kept cursing in my heart.

Damn Xiang Cheng, you'd better not let me find it tonight, or I'll definitely take your skin off!

I don’t know when I reached the elementary school. I stopped and stared at the eerily dark school in front of me. I haven’t been here for a while. I still remember that I used to run here when I felt uncomfortable, hiding in a place that only I knew. secret base.

There are only two street lamps standing on the front lawn, reflecting two faint halos in the darkness.

There is a smell of silence in the air, and the breeze caresses, making the rustling sound of leaves shaking.

It was quiet, eerily quiet.

Knowing that he shouldn't step in, his body seemed to be controlled by aliens, and he walked straight into the campus uncontrollably.

Pass through the atrium, walk through the playground, and step by step towards the play area.

For a moment, I seemed to guess where Xiang Cheng would go. If... If I had told Xiang Cheng about the secret base before, then maybe Xiang Cheng was there.

In less than a few minutes, I came to the side of the slide, bent down, brushed away the surrounding bushes about half a person's height, and got under the slide. The space inside could accommodate about two people.

Here, directly below the slide slope, is my secret base.

Even Ke Yang and Ke Ye didn't know about it.

Every time I fail a school exam, and I refuse to show my sadness in front of others, I always sneak in here alone, sobbing and crying, and swear that I will never fail the exam next time.

I took out the phone and pressed a button casually. With the light from the screen, my eyes quickly swept around, and finally, my eyes were fixed on the front right——

There was a person nestled there, legs bent, cheeks sideways, pillowed on knees, motionless.

The light on the screen was too weak, and I couldn't see the man's facial features clearly.

Probably fell asleep, the man didn't move at all.

I took a few steps closer and shone the screen on his face. His handsome side face, thick eyebrows like a sword, and thin lips were tightly pressed. In an instant, my heart beat rapidly.

I stared at him fiercely, and the more I watched, the more violently my heart beat.

Such a strong beating seemed to reach the eardrums, and the thumping was deafening.

My throat was a little dry, and I gulped, the sound of swallowing was amplified dozens of times in the silent space, clear and obvious.

He stretched out his hand and pushed the person in front of him, "Xiang Cheng."

He seemed to be fast asleep and didn't show signs of awakening, so I pushed again. "Xiang Cheng, Xiang Cheng..."

Not long after, I saw his eyebrows wrinkled slightly, and I quickly withdrew my hand.

Xiang Cheng opened his eyes, his pupils were dazed and lifeless, he blinked his eyelids a few times before slowly waking up, when he saw me, his eyes were oval, and he looked like he saw a ghost.

"Nian... Ke Nian, you, you..."

I rolled my eyes.

"How will you be here?"

"This is what I want to ask you, right? Didn't everyone tell you to leave, why are you hiding here?" I said.

"..."

He didn't speak anymore, the phone screen was not pressed for a long time, the light went out, and Xiang Cheng's face was swallowed by darkness.

I knew I had hurt him again because I caught a flash of pain on his face the moment the light went out.

My fingers froze, I didn't know if I should press it or not.

"Ke Nian." Xiang Cheng's unwavering voice echoed in the narrow space, shaking my heart a little numb.

"Do you really hate me?" he said.

My throat is a little dry, and I don't know how to answer him.

I hate him, but actually I don't really hate him to the point where I hate him. What I hate is the relationship between me and him. If the lover relationship is removed, I'm happy to make friends with him.

"Really—hate me?"

"...No." I said anyway. "I don't hate you."

"Really?" His voice was raised, a little pleased.

In the darkness, I couldn't see his expression clearly, judging by the high tone of his voice, he should be happy.

"But, I don't like you either, let's break up." I understand that this hurts, but if I don't break up with Xiang Cheng for a day, I will feel uncomfortable all over, as if there is still a stone in my heart that has not been let go. Pressed on the chest all day, it is stuffy and painful.

Xiang Cheng became quiet again, and he didn't hear him speak for a while.

"Ke Nian, I like you."

"sorry."

"Really, is there no other way?"

"...I'm sorry," I said.

He didn't speak anymore, the sound of rapid breathing echoed in the dry and thin air, and I heard the sound of blowing his nose subtly.

Xiang Cheng cried.

Upon learning of this fact, my chest suddenly became tingly, as if some sharp claws severely tore my heart in two.

It’s pain, it’s pain, it’s so painful that my head is completely blank, and it’s so painful that I feel a lack of oxygen even when I breathe.

I don't know how much time has passed, maybe only a few seconds have passed, and suddenly I heard Xiang Cheng say in a strong nasal voice: "Ke Nian, thank you...thank you."

He said it twice in a row.

These two words of thanks are like a thorny whip whipping at my heart, which makes people want to cry.

Saying "thank you", I am the least qualified to accept Xiang Cheng's two thank yous.

Neither of us spoke afterward.

Climbing out of the slide, I found that the stars in the sky lit up one by one.

I looked up and squinted my eyes for a while, and Xiang Cheng also crawled out. The corners of his eyes were a little swollen and red, and even the tip of his nose was red.

"Xiang Cheng, I don't hate you, we—we can start as friends." I said.

I heard him give a soft "hmm", and then smiled, his eyes were curved, with a taste of a big boy who is still childish.

Seeing him like this makes me feel better.

"You can stay at my house today."

"Um."

I walked back and forth with him.

My heart was a little confused, and I wanted to turn around to see if Xiang Cheng could keep up, but I couldn't hold back my face.

Suddenly, there was a touch of warmth between the palms.

I am slightly stiff.

"Ke Nian, can I ask you one last thing?"

"Let's make a bet," he said again.

"What do you want to bet?" I tried to maintain a consistent tone.

"I'll bet on you." He tightened his palm. The distance between me and him was zero, and there was no gap between our palms. His palm was very hot, as if he could burn someone. I was so nervous that I ooze A thin layer of sweat, sticky on the contact area.

"I don't understand." I suppressed my confused thoughts and replied calmly.

"Take me in for another month. During this time, I won't do anything strange to you. Just treat me like a friend. If you recover your memory and remember me within a month, it means I won. Tonight's breakup is If it doesn’t count, otherwise, you win.”

"If I win, what's the reward?"

"Yes," he replied.

Xiang Cheng let go of my hand, walked in front of me, then turned around, under the reflection of the moonlight, his smile was a little unreal, "I will leave, leave your world completely, never again Will bother you, listen, this prize is not bad, right?"

His smile, like a sharp knife, pierced into my heart fiercely.

I looked at him without making any expression.

"Okay, I promise you." I said.

At night, since there is no spare room at home, Xiang Cheng sleeps with me.

I slept on the bed, and he made a bunk on the floor, with only a thin quilt covering him.

The room was very quiet, so quiet that only the sound of each other's breathing remained.

I forced myself to fall asleep quickly, but the more I tried to do it, the clearer my head became, and the more I cared about Xiang Cheng.

I was thinking about the bet just now, and how could Xiang Cheng be able to smile in that kind of situation?

Eyes opened and closed, back and forth more than ten times, but no matter how can not fall asleep.

This night, I thought a lot, about Xiang Cheng, about amnesia, and about how I will get along with him in the next month. Gradually, my head started to feel dizzy, and I lost consciousness after a while.

When I woke up in the morning, Xiang Cheng was no longer on the floor, and the quilt was neatly folded in the corner. For some reason, I felt a little lost and empty in my heart.

He walked out of the room in a trance, and just as he stepped out, he heard joyful laughter from the living room.

I suppressed my doubts and looked for it, only to see Ke Yang hanging half of his body on Xiang Cheng, hugging him from behind, smiling very happily.

"Xiang Cheng, it's a deal, wait and go fishing! I must catch an extra-large fish and cook it for my mother's dinner!" Ke Yang smiled brightly, his whole face was shining brightly.

Xiang Cheng patted Ke Yang's head with a doting smile on his face.

In an instant, the apex of the heart felt as if it had been pricked by a needle, throbbing and throbbing.

Feeling a little uncomfortable in my heart, I walked up, without looking at Xiang Cheng, and said to Ke Yang sullenly, "Ke Yang, where is my breakfast?"

"It's in the kitchen, go get it yourself."

"Oh." He replied coldly, and walked directly to the kitchen.

After coming to the kitchen, looking at the sandwich, my heart felt like a fire was burning, and I clenched my fists, wishing to separate the two of them severely.

Son of a bitch!Son of a bitch!

I took a deep breath and got even angrier.

At this moment, Xiang Cheng also walked into the kitchen, "Ke Nian, I want to go fishing with Xiao Yang, do you want to go together?"

"No, just go by yourselves."

He said "Oh", "Really not going? Last time I left you and Xiaoyang to go fishing alone, and you still lost your temper. Are you sure you don't want to go this time?" He stretched out his hand.

Hearing what he said, I became angry, and I rudely waved away his hand that was about to approach, "If you don't say it, you don't go, are you annoying!"

A loud slap echoed through the kitchen, and I froze.

Not only was I stunned, but even Xiang Cheng didn't seem to expect such a violent reaction from me. After my palm was waved away, he paused in mid-air, slightly frozen.

I looked at him, watched him slowly recover from the shock, and then the corners of his mouth slightly curved.

...It was that forced smile again.

I wanted to speak, but thousands of words were stuck in my throat, and I couldn't make a sound, as if I was pinched by someone's neck, but I couldn't say it.

"sorry."

……sorry Sorry!How long does he want to apologize?The person who was wrong was obviously me, but Xiang Cheng always bowed his head responsibly in front of me, like a pariah who has no dignity and is trampled on by others.

I hate his humble appearance, I don't understand why Xiang Cheng can live so without dignity?Is it because the object is me?

I looked at him, my lips twitched, and I said, "You don't have to apologize, it's me who should apologize, I just woke up, I was a little angry... that wasn't intentional just now, I'm sorry."

Xiang Cheng smiled, "It's okay."

"Just go with Ke Yang, I'm a little tired and don't want to go out."

I hid in the room, turned on the lamp on the table, took the thickest original book, and buried my thoughts in the book.

However, no matter how much he hypnotized himself, the subtle sounds of talking and laughing outside the door came in through the crack of the door, knocking on the eardrums word by word.

"Xiang Cheng, where's the third brother?" It was Ke Yang's voice.

"Ke Nian said he was very tired and didn't want to go." Xiang Cheng replied.

"Where are you going?" Staying in the room, I heard Ke Ye ask in a curious tone.Ke Ye worked the day shift for three consecutive days, and at dinner last night he happily said that he could finally have two days off.

"Fishing, do you want to go?" Ke Yang said.

"Yes! Yes! I want to follow!" Ke Ye agreed, and then I heard him shout again: "Second brother, we are going fishing, how about going with us?"

"Okay, I have nothing to do today anyway." Ke Fan readily agreed.

"What about Ke Yin? Let's ask her out!"

"That girl Ke Yin went on a date early in the morning."

"This girl is really, once you have a lover, you will forget the existence of your family."

After a while, Ke Ye, Ke Fan and Wei Heng were added to the original two-person line. I listened to their conversation in the room, but I couldn't read a word of it in my mind.

"Why didn't you ask Konian out? That guy is very cautious. If he knew we didn't ask him out and went fishing by himself, Xiang Cheng, you will definitely kneel down when you go back tonight!"

Hearing this, I couldn't help but smile.

You actually spoke bad things about me secretly, saying that I was narrow-minded, so you Ke Ye.

"But Ke Nian said..." Xiang Cheng hesitated to speak.

"Don't worry, I'll make an appointment for you." Ke Ye's voice gradually became clearer and louder.

There was a crisp knock on the door, I got up and turned the doorknob, there were a group of people standing outside, and Xiang Cheng was hiding at the back, I said to them coldly, "What are you doing?"

"We're going fishing, let's go!"

I glanced at Xiang Cheng who was behind me, he met my gaze, waved his hand in fright and clarified: "Ke Nian, I have already told them, but..."

"Go, of course, how can you not go if you have fun." Suddenly, I said to them with a smile.

"That's great, let's go, let's go!" Ke Ye pulled me out of the door, I slowed down, and came to Xiang Cheng's side.

"Ke Nian, didn't you just say..."

I turned to face him and said, "Suddenly changed my mind, can't I?"

"No, no, of course it would be best if you could go together." Xiang Cheng smiled shyly and scratched his hair.

His smile is still green, with a bit of a pure big boy taste.

I didn't speak, but the corners of my mouth curled up slightly.

The uncomfortable and suffocating feeling just now disappeared in an instant. I looked at him and thought that Xiang Cheng's smile looks pretty good.

I was shoulder to shoulder with him.

My chest felt a little hot.

Suddenly, my palms were itchy and empty.

Ke Fan drove a group of people in his family's old-style van to the coast near the sea.

Xiang Cheng took out the boxes, fishing rods and buckets from the rear compartment, and picked a place with fewer fishermen, and the six of them found their favorite places to sit down.

It’s not the first time I’ve been fishing here. I’m quite familiar with this place. I found a place by myself, assembled the fishing rod, put on the bait, held the rod, and flung it skillfully towards the sea surface. A perfect semicircle was drawn in the middle, and then a circle of ripples appeared on the calm sea.

Sitting on a folding chair, resting my chin in one hand, I yawned while holding the handle of the pole.

Ke Yang and Xiang Cheng were not far to my right. I turned my head and saw Xiang Cheng helping Ke Yang assemble the fishing rod. They were talking and laughing.

Suddenly my heart felt a little blocked, and even my throat became dry. I turned my head back without saying a word.

Ke Ye and his second brother were nesting in another place, and it seemed that they caught a fresh fish as soon as they put the bait in, and cheers erupted from their place, accompanied by "caught, caught!".

I looked at the sea level, the sky was clear, and I didn't see a single white cloud in the sky, it was a whole piece of blue.

Not long after, good news came from Ke Yang. It seemed that a big fish had been caught. Ke Yang and Xiang Cheng held the fishing rod together and pulled it vigorously. Their eyes stopped at the place where their hands overlapped, and their pupils shrank. , pulling back his gaze again.

There was no movement on the water surface. I reeled back the fishing line, only to find that the bait had been taken away by the fish at some point.

Cursing secretly, he finished the bait again and threw it back.

The bait was bitten off one after another, and I was so out of breath that I didn't bother to put on the bait again, and threw the buoy directly into the sea.

I sat and waited, feeling a little uncomfortable about the time.

I don't know how I did it. I was in a good mood, but suddenly I swung to the bottom of the valley. I didn't want to do anything. I just wanted to stare at the sea in a daze. Whether I caught any fish was secondary.

Just when my mind was empty and my mind wandered too far, a familiar voice came from my ear: "How is the fishing?"

I came back to my senses, glanced at him, then turned back to the sea directly in front of me, and responded calmly: "Well, it's okay."

Xiang Cheng looked at my bucket and said, "Why didn't you catch a single fish?"

"The bait has been taken away, what else can I catch?" I replied.

"Do you want me to help you? Maybe you forgot, but I'm pretty good at fishing."

"No need, go back and help Ke Yang."

"He's already caught a lot of them, so he doesn't need my help."

"Then you go to Ke Ye."

"..." The surroundings suddenly became quiet, I turned my head to look at him, Xiang Cheng looked at me with a very strange look, I was a little flustered by his stare.

"Ke Nian, do you still reject getting along with me?"

"No." I said evasively.

"Then why do you keep sending me away?"

"I just don't think I need your help," I said.

"But I want to stay with you."

"... Whatever you want, you can help if you want."

As soon as the words fell, Xiang Cheng leaned over and grabbed the fishing rod in my hand with one hand. I was startled, I shrank back, and my back immediately pressed against a warm chest.

"Xiang Cheng, you..."

"Let me change the bait for you." He pressed my hand, retracted the fishing rod, and then skillfully put on the bait with his hands and feet. In the next second, he swung the buoy far away with great strength.

"If you throw the bait too close, they can see you, so they won't take the bait obediently. Don't underestimate the fish, they are very smart." The two of us got too close, and when we sucked and spit out, our neck Cheng's scorching breath sprayed on the back of my neck, and I felt an itch in my heart.

Confused, I took a few steps forward to get away from him.

There was heat from the back of my hand, I froze, and the thick chest behind me leaned forward, in this posture, it was as if Xiang Cheng was hugging me tightly from behind.

I'm a bit overwhelmed.

Between me and him, the memories of those three years were suddenly cut off. It was like asking you to get in touch with a complete stranger. I couldn't get used to it.

I was trapped in his arms, the distance between the two was zero, every time I took a breath, his chest would stick firmly to my back, I was so nervous that my palms sweated.

Xiang Cheng covered the back of my hand with his palm, his palm was so big that it almost covered my hand.

"I—" Just as I opened my mouth, suddenly, there was a pull on the fishing rod in my hand, and the fish was hooked. According to the strong force of the pull, it was probably a big fish.

"Xiang Cheng, there are fish!" I yelled loudly, all my attention was on the fishing rod, and I didn't realize that Xiang Cheng was too close to me at some point.

"Read, you grab the fishing rod, and I'll help you reel in the line."

"Okay." I answered in a hurry, not daring to let go of my hand, and clenched the fishing rod desperately. Xiang Cheng put one hand on the back of my hand, and the other was busy reeling the fishing line. The force against it was so strong that the fishing rod bent. In the shape of a half moon, it seems that if you use more force, the fishing rod will snap off.

The power to resist gradually diminished, and Xiang Cheng quickened his movements, "It's about to come up!"

As soon as I finished speaking, I pulled it up vigorously, and a lively damselfish immediately jumped out of the water, dancing its tail vigorously in the air.

Leaning over to grab the fishing line, I happily looked at the damselfish in front of me, and when I turned my head to talk to Xiang Cheng, a magnified handsome face was in front of me at close range, my heart skipped a beat for a moment, and I quickly lowered my head, Not daring to meet his eyes, I said, "...it's a big damselfish."

"Ke Nian is amazing." His praise popped out in his ears.

I felt my face was hot and my heart was beating uncontrollably.

Taking a step back, I remove the hook and place the damselfish in the bucket.

Looking up, I met his eyes. Suddenly, the oxygen in the air became thinner, and the lack of oxygen was unbearable.

I don't know when, Xiang Cheng could control my emotions, I feel a little scary, I have only known him for less than three days, but my joy and sadness are fluctuated by him, I can't imagine doing it again. If this continues, what should I do in the future.

"Ke Nian..."

His hand stretched out again, I froze, I wanted to take a step back but couldn't react for a long time, I could only watch helplessly as his hand covered the top of my head, and Xiang Cheng rubbed it several times.

"You're great," he said with a smile.

I was stunned.

He didn't stop, maybe it was because I didn't stop him, he rubbed wantonly for a few more seconds.