shallow affection

"Ma'am, here comes another bouquet today."

The nanny walked into the villa beaming with a bunch of lilies in her arms, "Mr. Tan is really caring."

"He's just kidding around." Yang Tong smiled sheepishly.

"The bottles at home are almost full," the nanny pulled out a fragrant card from the middle of the bouquet, "Hey, I wrote something today, do you want to see it?"

Yang Tong took the card, read it at a glance, and threw it on the coffee table, "It's not serious when you are old. When we were classmates, he liked to play some gaudy pranks."

"Really, I think Mr. Tan is interesting." The nanny arranged the flowers and went to the kitchen to make lunch.

After her figure disappeared, Yang Tong quietly picked up the card and put it in the drawer of the bedroom.

At lunch, she put down her chopsticks after a few mouthfuls, held her forehead in thought, and sighed from time to time, looking preoccupied.The nanny understood and told Fang Mingzhan to cook a few more dishes in the evening.

"What are you calling him for? It will only cause trouble for me."

"Xiao Fang has been sensible since he was a child, and he will not intentionally make you angry. Is there some misunderstanding?"

"Sister Liang, you don't know that Fang Mingzhan and I are not close at all."

"When he was young, you were busy with work, and mother and child really didn't spend much time together—" The nanny saw that Yang Tong was unhappy, and closed her mouth tactfully.

Throughout the afternoon, Yang Tong locked himself in the utility room, looking through the old things that had passed through the years. The utility room was crowded and filled with a strange smell, which seemed to come from dust or mold.

She saw her wedding photo 30 years ago, framed in a large golden photo frame. She was wearing the most advanced new wedding dress at that time. Fang Yulang was also very fashionable, with her hair combed back and a pair of snow-white gloves in her hands.In the huge photo, the facial features of the groom and the bride are very clear, and the expressions are clearly visible. Yang Tong looks at himself first. The girl in the photo is smiling happily, with her chin resting on her husband's shoulder, beautiful and playful.She went to look at Fang Yulang again. Fang Yulang was handsome when he was young, with sharp eyebrows and starry eyes, but his expression was not very excited.

Yang Tong's eyes were slightly red. She put down the wedding photo, touched a faded stroller, and pushed and pulled it back and forth a few times.It was used by Fang Mingzhan when she was a child, but her impression was very shallow, probably because the nanny was always taking care of the children.

After looking around, she couldn't help tidying up the room, putting together some old and useless things and preparing to throw them away in the future.

At the foot of the wall to the north, Yang Tong found a cardboard box, dusty on the outside, and after taking it apart, there were children's odds and ends inside, picture books, story books, truck toys, puzzles, everything in a mess.She stretched out her hand to poke it, her nose sore, and suddenly recalled the scene of Fang Mingzhan's childhood, when he was always very well-behaved, sitting on the carpet by himself, either reading a book or building blocks, no adults needed to bother at all.

With nostalgia, Yang Tong took out a literacy book from the box with great interest, flipped through a few pages, and smiled lightly.When she put the book back, she saw a rectangular box, like a child's drawing pencil, with a line written crookedly with a black marker on the case.

She got closer and read out the contents of the handwriting: "The colored pencils that Jian Qingli gave me, don't throw them away."

There was a clattering sound in the storage room, something seemed to have collapsed, and the nurse wiped her hands on the apron and hurried to check the situation.

"Ma'am, why are you crying?"

Yang Tong knelt on the floor, weeping while covering his face. There was an overturned cardboard box at his feet, and many picture books, building blocks and toy cars rolled out of it.

The nanny helped her back to the living room and made her a cup of hot tea.After a while, Yang Tong calmed down, wiped away his tears with a handkerchief, and meditated quietly while holding a teacup.

While mopping the floor, the nanny looked at the owner worriedly.

"Sister Liang, you said a few days ago that you saw Fang Mingzhan and Miss Ge in the city center, is that true?"

"It's absolutely true, it's in Guangya Mall."

"Well...then invite Yiyi to come over for dinner tonight, I'll ask if she's free." Yang Tong picked up the phone, dialed Ge Yiyi's number, and greeted her cordially.

When Ge Yiyi heard about her intentions, she seemed somewhat troubled, hesitated for a while, and said that she had to work overtime tonight and was not free.

"That's it." Although Yang Tong was disappointed, he didn't try to persuade her, and kindly asked her to come to the house often in the future.

Ge Yiyi was silent for a while, then sighed: "Auntie, I appreciate your kindness, but Fang Mingzhan and I can't get together anymore. He has a sweetheart, and I don't want to destroy their relationship."

"They have already broken up." Yang Tong raised his voice, emphasizing as if he was deceiving himself.

"But I ran into him at the door of Fangmingzhan's apartment a few days ago. Auntie, I think they really love each other. Although the mainstream group doesn't recognize homosexuality yet, if you can try to accept it, they will be very happy of."

Yang Tong smiled helplessly and sadly: "Yiyi, you have a good heart, but there are still some things you don't know... Forget it, let me ask, don't you like Fang Mingzhan, and you are willing to just let it go ?”

"I do like him." Ge Yiyi paused mischievously, "But I can also like others."

Yang Tong was touched by her open-mindedness and frankness, and murmured: "Yes, why doesn't Fang Mingzhan understand."

Ge Yiyi said: "Maybe because he has already met the person he loves the most in his life."

The tea was cold, and the nanny refilled it.She couldn't figure out what the boss was thinking, so she tentatively said, then I will inform Huang Zhan to come over for dinner tonight.

Yang Tong sneered twice, no need, I don't have such a son.

The atmosphere in the villa was extremely dull, the nanny was immersed in her work, and she no longer made fun of herself. Yang Tong had a gloomy face, staring at the willow tree outside the window in a daze, and the thin skin under the eyelids occasionally twitched angrily.

The master and servant did not talk to each other, and only the ticking of the clock could be heard in the huge room.

After an unknown amount of time, Yang Tong, who was leaning on the sofa and still like a sculpture, suddenly stood up, staring straight at the window of the living room, his expression became subtle and gentle, and his eyes lit up.

The nanny was surprised, and took two steps towards the window, following her gaze to look out.She saw a middle-aged man with gray temples, tall and tall, with a slightly protruding belly, and wearing a pair of pedantic round glasses.The man stood outside the carved iron gate, seemingly unable to determine the correct address, looking in through the railing.

"Don't you remember after six years? Come in!" Yang Tong complained loudly, his expression was the joy of reunion with an old friend, and there was also a hint of excitement.She told the nanny, "Sister Liang, please open the door for Mr. Tan."

Tan Jingsong walked into the villa with vigorous steps and full of energy, and it was funny when he opened his mouth: "I am getting old and my memory has deteriorated."

Yang Tong couldn't help laughing, "Sit down."

Tan Jingsong said: "Really, you didn't tell me when you went back to Cangshi. I still found out from Huang Zhan. I have received so many bouquets of flowers these days, and I didn't send a single thank you message." Move to the lilies on the coffee table.

"Come on, it's too late to play pranks." Yang Tong poured him a cup of tea himself, with a never-ending smile on his lips.

The two talked about each other's recent situation, and also talked about their classmates back then, without embarrassment.They have always hit it off and have been friends for many years, but sitting opposite each other at this moment, smelling the fragrance of lilies, there seems to be something more in their eyes than before.

The nanny showed a perceptive smile, and left through the back door with a vegetable basket on her shoulders, planning to go to the supermarket to buy some more things. She was sure that she would prepare dinner for one more person tonight.