looking back inadvertently

"Haochen is your child?"

Shen Zhe's ordinary words fell into Liang He's ears, and his taste changed. He thought wrongly, but it also diluted the tension of the unexpected meeting: "Isn't math good? Is it possible that I have such a big child?"

Shen Zhe rolled his eyes: "You're not good at Chinese, did I say it's your child?"

Liang He scratched his neck in a little embarrassment: "He is my nephew."

"I know, his mother told me, uncle will watch for a while." Shen Zhe stared fixedly at Liang He, "When did you come back?"

"Just over a month." Liang He pursed his lips slightly, "You, are you a teacher?"

"What's the matter?" Shen Zhe asked back, "Didn't you say that I am suitable to be a teacher?"

The long memory box was opened, and the snowy winter vacation came back to his mind, Liang He's breathing was slightly stagnant.

Shen Zhe's appearance has not changed as much as Wen Hao's, but the black thin-rimmed glasses he often wears have been replaced by frameless, giving him a more pure bookish look.

"I just joined the job," he continued, "I took the recruitment exam with my classmates. I was lucky and got into the experimental primary school." This is the most powerful public primary school in the city.

After a few words, they were still standing at the door, and no one forgot to mention the door, until the voice-activated lights in the corridor turned off automatically.

"Come in and sit down." Liang He came to his senses first, and let him enter the room sideways.

The main purpose of tonight is to make a home visit, it seems that it is not a good time to reminisce about the past, after Shen Zhe changed his slippers, he looked around: "Where is Haochen?"

"Going back to his room," Liang He pointed to the closed door, "as soon as I heard the doorbell ring, I immediately ran inside."

He was about to ask his nephew to come out, but Shen Zhe stopped him and said, "Wait a minute, I want to ask, how is the communication between Hao Chen and you?"

"Me?" Liang He didn't know why he asked.He has not been in the country for several years, and has no contact with his nephew. Today, Yuan Jing entrusted him to get in touch with the child again. They are almost like strangers, "I don't talk much, just now he was sitting on the sofa by himself."

"That's it..." Shen Zhe nodded, and continued to say to him, "Haochen came to the school for an interview before, and he didn't speak at all, only willing to communicate on paper. I communicated with his mother. In fact, he is quite smart. Words are not inferior to children of the same age."

"He is like this with people he doesn't know," Liang He heard from Yuan Jing. "Is it related to family?"

"That's why I came to visit the home." The school does not require every child to have a home visit, but those with special circumstances should come and have a look.After explaining this to Liang He, he reminded, "Don't say it in front of Hao Chen."

"Ok, I know."

In the end, Liang He and Shen Zhe pushed open the door of the children's room together. Yuan Haochen huddled on the bed motionless, and when his gaze fell on Shen Zhe, he twitched obviously, as if he was a little scared.

Shen Zhe didn't immediately explain that he was a school teacher, but stepped forward and bent over to look at the child: "Is that Chenchen? Hello, I'm your uncle's good friend."

He raised his head and glanced at Liang He. Liang He didn't expect Shen Zhe to introduce him like this, but when he met his nephew's timid gaze, he nodded vigorously.

Perhaps Shen Zhe's words made Chenchen let go of her guard and obediently followed them to the living room.Shen Zhe was afraid that he would be nervous, so she told him that he could do what he usually likes most.So he built Lego toys on the floor mat near the balcony.

Shen Zhe and Liang He watched for a while, and then joined the ranks of building the vehicle and helped him complete some difficult parts.

Shen Zhe took the opportunity to ask a lot of questions, including his favorite books and animations, etc. He often answered by nodding or shaking his head, and occasionally opened his mouth with just a simple word or two, until later he was encouraged to make up stories for the spelled out scenes. Only then increased.

When Yuan Jing returned home, the three of them were still sitting on the floor mat.Yuan Jing was also surprised to find that her son, who had always been withdrawn, seemed to be having a good time with her new teacher.

"It's rare to see him talk so much." She told Shen Zhe.

"Don't worry too much," Shen Zhe asked Liang He to continue to accompany Chenchen, and talked to Yuan Jing on the sofa, "His plasticity is very strong, and he will gradually improve."

"Mr. Shen," Yuan Jing sensed his acquaintance with Liang He, "Do you know my brother?"

Shen Zhe nodded with a smile: "We used to be classmates in high school."

"No wonder." She glanced at Liang He again, "Is the relationship very good? I think you two seem to have a tacit understanding."

"Yes," Shen Zhe said as if talking to himself, "very good."

It was getting late, and the washed fruit was hardly eaten, Shen Zhe didn't stay for too long, Liang He was going back to his apartment, and the two happened to go downstairs together.

Weird feeling.

We have been separated for more than four years, but when we walked together, it seemed that there was no difference from the past.If there is, it is probably the net of unknown meaning that covers my heart.

The shock brought by the reunion made Liang He forget that he was going back by car, and only after walking along the main road for a while did he remember to ask Shen Zhe where he lived now.

Shen Zhe said that this area is in the school district, and the rent is relatively high. He lives in another area, but it is not too far away, and he can just walk back.After talking about his situation, he asked Liang He: "What about you, where do you live?"

Liang He reported the neighborhood he was in, not sure what the next topic would be, and he didn't want to be left alone, he complained casually about his current living environment: "The sound insulation is too bad, I want to change another place..."

"Where to change?"

"Ah?" It was just nagging to find something to say, and he didn't think about it at all. "I don't know, so take your time. There is no place near the unit... if the transportation is convenient."

Shen Zhe didn't speak any more, and stared down at the curb, as if he was stepping on his own shadow.

"Why didn't you go to the middle school teacher?" Perhaps because he was afraid of being speechless for too long and it would be difficult to speak, Liang He broke the silence again.

"A good public middle school now needs graduate students." The street lights slanted down, and one side of Shen Zhe's face was surprisingly bright. "And the middle school is so tiring, and the students are difficult to manage."

"I thought you'd rather deal with older kids."

"How could it be?" Shen Zhe exhaled deeply, "Children are pretty good, they are very malleable."

Liang He's footsteps paused for a while, Shen Zhe turned his face, and the two suddenly looked at each other.

In order to adjust the atmosphere, Shen Zhe smiled: "I tell you something, I still failed the math exam in the college entrance examination."

Liang He relaxed: "Small it."

"I failed the English entrance examination again."

"Maybe you are too talented in a certain area, and you have absorbed the aura of other...other subjects." Liang He said seriously.

Shen Zhe laughed uncontrollably, it wasn't a big laugh, but he couldn't stop, his shoulder blades twitched, and when he wanted to end, the uninhibited nerve reaction jumped to the corners of his eyes, suddenly sore and itchy.Liang He's cell phone rang, and he was rescued in time.

Shen Zhe turned his back slightly, but he still heard the overly bright voice on the other end of the phone.

"I asked you to contact Shen Zhe, did you actually get in touch?!" Wen Hao yelled, "Is there a classmate meeting coming this weekend?"

"He—" Liang He held the phone in one hand and cast his gaze over.

In just a moment, Shen Zhe had adjusted his mood, faced him again, and stretched out his right hand: "Let me tell him."

"Hey," he said to Wen Hao holding Liang He's mobile phone, "I'm with Liang He."

"Hey?" Wen Hao asked in surprise, "You two are getting together again? Well... we have a class reunion on Saturday night, are you coming? It's in Youranju."

"I can." Shen Zhe looked at Liang He and asked with his gaze, Liang He mouthed "OK" to him, "He can too."

"That's good, see you then." Wen Hao didn't say much, and when the news came, he immediately hung up the phone.

Shen Zhe returned the phone to him, and the two stood by the side of the road, neither walking forward immediately.For a moment, Liang He's heart was a little agitated, afraid that Shen Zhe would ask him why he didn't contact him anymore, and whether he was avoiding him.

But in the end, he only said softly: "The place where I live is coming soon, just walk in this road."

Liang He followed his line of sight and roughly understood the location of his house.

"The soundproofing of my house here is pretty good, but there are square dancers in the small park in front of seven or eight o'clock every night. If you don't close the windows, there will be a little movement." Shen Zhe finished all this in one breath, "Maybe you can consider it. There are a lot of vacancies for rent.”

He was talking about renting an apartment.Liang He's facial muscles began to stiffen, and he didn't know how to react naturally.

"If you want to see the house, you can come to my house." He added.

Liang He looked at him incredulously, and said mechanically: "Today is too late."

"Who said it's today?" Shen Zhe smiled again, "Come here when you're free."

The path reveals a faint light, with a soft honey-like color.Liang He nodded, watching him turn around, gradually surrounded by honey.

"Shen Zhe," Liang He suddenly shouted, "Can I leave a phone number?"

Shen Zhe turned around.

The face reflected in the streamer overlaps with the memory of a certain moment—many years ago on the road near the No. [-] Middle School, the man shouted at him, "Leave a call."

They seem to complete a loop.

"Yes." Shen Zhe walked towards him again.

That night, affected by the noise from the neighbor's house, Liang He opened his eyes not long after he fell asleep.

After a while, the surroundings finally fell silent.The night wind blows from the half-opened window, slowly and softly.In the void in front of him, he saw that familiar face again, which seemed to be the same as when he was in high school.

He sat up suddenly, clicked on his phone to check the year on it, 2007.

Then I turned to the address book, a new name was added: Shen Zhe.

The author says:

There is still a little bit of ambiguity, I really like two-way secret love recently~