sunset escape

Turning his head to Jiayun, he vaguely saw Mr. He's sharp profile and those obsidian-like eyes.

He nodded, and then remembered that they were in the dark, and replied softly: "Yes."

Xiang Jiayun sat up a little bit, for a serious person like He Chen still had a day to tell a story, he had to listen attentively.

The boys and girls at the other end of the room were very quiet, they could vaguely hear steady breathing, and they might have fallen asleep.

Fortunately, it was pitch black, and they couldn't see the two big men leaning together and telling bedtime stories.

Teacher He's voice was also kept very low, and against the background of the night, there was even a softness that I didn't realize.

"When I was in elementary school, I really wanted to raise a stray dog. It often appeared in the area around my house. Because it couldn't beat other stray dogs, it was very thin, and it walked slowly with its head bowed and its tail tucked in."

It turned out to be a pet story, does Mr. He also have pets?

Xiang Jiayun quietly listened to the beginning of this common story, and guessed: "But your parents don't agree with you raising it?"

"Yes, they just said no, and didn't tell me the reason." He Chen paused at this point, "But I was very stubborn when I was a child, they didn't allow me to take the dog back, so I secretly fed it outside. "

Xiang Jiayun imagined a miniature version of He Chen, squatting on the corner of the street to feed a poor stray dog, and his heart softened unconsciously.He bumped Teacher He's with his shoulder, "You must have been cuter when you were young than you are now."

He Chen was a little helpless, he changed the topic, and couldn't hold back, he said again: "You must be as uncute as ever."

Xiang Jiayun froze, why bother to provoke Mr. He's mouth, anyway, he couldn't say it.He didn't refute, but said along the way: "I'm a hunk, I don't need to be cute...you go ahead."

He Chen let out a chuckle, and before he felt embarrassed, he spoke softly: "That puppy was very defensive at first, unwilling to approach humans, and would not eat the food I gave, and even wanted to attack me a few times because of fear. But I persisted for a month, and one day it was finally willing to let me approach and ate the dog food I brought."

"You were so patient when you were young, Mr. He." Xiang Jiayun unconsciously took on a tone of longing.

He Chen was silent for a moment, and when he spoke again, his voice became more forlorn, "Yes, it's because I'm too patient."

He noticed the turning point in the story, turned his head to look over, and patted the other person's shoulder randomly in the dark, and finally didn't know where he patted.

It is said that childhood memories are especially important. The sadness and pain experienced in childhood cannot be erased, but comfort is always useful.Xiang Jiayun thought about it, and said a common comforting sentence: "Many years have passed."

Teacher He didn't answer the consolation, and continued: "My parents took me back to my hometown during the summer vacation and left for a few days. Before I left, I left him a lot of dog food in the old place, thinking that I would find an excuse to let him go in two days. My parents sent me back early.

"But when I went back it was gone."

Xiang Jiayun had expected it a long time ago, and said in a low voice: "Stray dogs are prone to accidents, and it is difficult for a primary school student to protect them."

"It was taken away by a dog dealer." There was a soft sound of cloth rubbing in the darkness, and He Chen turned around and looked at him, "It lost its guard against humans, thinking that everyone came to help him. Maybe they wagged their tails at the dog dealer when they were taken away, and thought they were about to have a home before being sold to a restaurant."

Xiang Jiajun was silent for a while, he seemed to understand why He Chen told this bedtime story.

He tentatively asked, "So you didn't want to see me helping others at will?"

He has always felt that there is a sense of contradiction in He Chen. He is obviously a very responsible person, but he behaves like he rejects others. Now this contradiction can be explained.

"No, I was just angry for a while." He Chen was very frank tonight, "In order not to aggravate your leg injury, I chose to give up the gas station and trade with those two kids. But you threw a bottle of water so casually, I was very unhappy."

As if being criticized by the teacher by name, Xiang Jiayun straightened her back and said from the bottom of her heart, "I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Teacher He said it lightly.

"When I was driving today, I thought about it. People can't give up eating because of choking." He Chen came out of his memories, and his tone returned to his usual rationality, "In fact, the results of any choice are unpredictable, whether it is good intentions or indifference. So just do what you want to do.”

The bedtime story suddenly deepened the philosophy of adult life, and Xiang Jiayun had long lost sleepiness, and now he was thinking about what Teacher He said.

He turned his head and glanced at the minor in another corner, and replied, "But they are not puppies, and they don't expect others to take them home...I'm not the one who wants to rescue puppies."

Everything is just a logical handy help, an insignificant bit of kindness in the apocalypse.

Xiang Jiajun felt that He Chen was getting closer, and looked down at himself.Those obsidian-like eyes were right in front of him, and a deep voice sounded: "I'm asking, are you that puppy?"

He froze for a moment, not knowing how to react.

That's right, He Chen radiated kindness towards him along the way.The other party could have left him halfway and drove away.But no, I walked here safely all the way, and even recuperated my leg injury in the doomsday.

For He Chen, this is already a rare care, but why should he take care of him...

Are you that puppy?Long before the end of the world, he had no home and no one close to him.If he hadn't met He Chen, he would have continued wandering alone.

"I..." Xiang Jiayun opened his mouth but was speechless, can he admit it frankly?

A warm hand touched the top of his head.

"You're not that puppy, you're very smart, and you won't let your guard down easily." He Chen smiled softly, as if he was comforting himself, "I don't have that much influence on you, and I won't repeat the same mistakes. "

Xiang Jiayun froze.

It's been a long time since anyone stroked the top of his head like this and ruffled his hair affectionately.The ninth birthday in his memory, with his parents still alive, was the last time he got this kind of close touch.

His back was stiff, forcing himself not to move, not to tremble.Under the cover of the night, I expected that hand to stay a little longer.

So much so that he no longer knows what the person next to him said.He doesn't care about puppies or mistakes.

But the hand still left.

Xiang Jiayun woke up like a dream, and suddenly remembered that the person next to him was He Chen, and they had only known each other for two days.

He suddenly realized that he was indeed shaking.He Chen should have found out, just being touched by someone's hair, he can tremble like this, really like a stray dog ​​on the street in winter night.

Xiang Jiayun pursed her lips tightly, and it took a while before she spoke, her voice still trembling: "I'm not a puppy either... I don't expect anyone to take me home."

What is self-deception, he himself is.

He Chen leaned back against the wall, as if he didn't notice his abnormality, "I know, you are a real person."

Yes, he is a real person.But Xiang Jiayun couldn't restrain his imagination. In He Chen's story, the puppy on the street on a winter night turned into a little boy, huddled up pitifully, and buried his head between his knees like an ostrich. Do not look up.

But there was a man who stood in front of the boy for so long that his body was covered with snow.

Who is that person?

"Go to bed early, I'll be in City B tomorrow." He Chen said softly, "Good night."

Xiang Jiayun suddenly regained consciousness, his imagination was cut off, and the darkness of doomsday enveloped him.

He looked at a silhouette in the darkness, and replied sullenly, "Good night."

The author says:

A bedtime story surrounded by two children and a bunch of zombies.