recession

Xu Yunqing's hometown is in the south, and after the beginning of spring, there will be an extremely long return to the south.Cloudy and sunny, abnormally humid, it seems that winter is making a comeback.

He moved his eyes away from Li Shuang, looked at the dark cloudy weather outside the window, and suddenly remembered this old incident.

After coming to N City, there was no such abnormal season anymore. The spring in N City is dry and windy. Many willow trees are planted on the street next to the Academy of Drama. Once the spring breeze passes, catkins float everywhere.

One spring, he, several senior classmates and Tao Liyang were in the rehearsal room of the small theater, rehearsing a repertoire to be performed soon.It was getting late, and the brothers and sisters still had evening classes, so they had to leave early.Tao Liyang changed the script for the whole night the night before, finished talking with them, and fell asleep leaning on the chair.Xu Yunqing didn't want to wake him up, so he let the others go first, and sat by himself and continued to recite his lines silently, waiting for Tao Liyang to wake up.

As the sky darkened little by little, the words on the script gradually blurred.Xu Yunqing rubbed his sore neck, turned his head away, and Tao Liyang was fast asleep.A wisp of catkins that floated in at unknown time fell on his cheek.Xu Yunqing couldn't help smiling, walked over with light steps, bent down, wanted to remove the catkins, and unconsciously got very close.The setting sun slanted in from the window, and the light and shadow fell on the bridge of Tao Liyang's nose and the corners of his lips, casting a faint shadow.

Xu Yunqing suddenly lost his mind and forgot to move for a moment.It must be because the surroundings are too quiet, he looked at Tao Liyang's face close at hand, and only heard his heart beating like a drum.The Adam's apple moved slightly, knowing it shouldn't, but still lowered his head like a ghost.

Just this time, Xu Yunqing said to herself, quietly, no one will know.He closed his eyes, his breath had already touched the very light hair on Tao Liyang's face, at this moment, he heard the door knock.

Xu Yunqing took a step back when he heard the sound, and turned his head hastily.The corner of someone's clothes flashed by the door.He froze for a moment, then chased out subconsciously, and there was no one in the corridor.Xu Yunqing frowned, walked quickly to the window at the corner of the stairs, and saw a girl running out of the small theater.He managed to see her face clearly through the streetlights. She was not from the small theater, but he knew her. It was Li Shuang, his senior from the volleyball club. ②

He didn't know what Li Shuang saw, it was extremely chaotic, and many disturbing pictures flooded into his mind again, making him unable to move.He stood by the window in a daze for a long time, his hands and feet became cold, until Tao Liyang called him from behind: "Yun Qing?"

Xu Yunqing shuddered, managed to gather himself together, and turned around: "Are you awake?"

"Yeah." Tao Liyang scratched his sleepy hair, "I woke up. I thought you were gone, but I saw your schoolbag is still there. What are you doing here?"

"It's nothing, take a breath."

"It's been a long time." Tao Liyang smiled a little embarrassedly: "Why don't you call me."

"Seeing that you are very tired, I have told you many times, don't stay up all night." Xu Yunqing was still panicked, but looking at Tao Liyang, for some reason, he cared more about the unfinished kiss.He hooked his hands, Tao Liyang didn't know why, so he walked up to him honestly, still saying that he could call him directly next time.

"Talk a lot." Xu Yunqing reached out and tapped his lips lightly.

Tao Liyang was taken aback for a moment, but Xu Yunqing withdrew his hand and pushed him: "Go get your schoolbag and go, I'm very hungry, and the cafeteria should be closed later."

"Oh, okay, I'll get it. Just wait for me." Tao Liyang came back to his senses, a little flustered for some reason, walked two steps, then pursed his lips and looked back at him.

"I'll wait for you." Xu Yunqing said, watching his back disappear into the corner of the stairs, smiled bitterly, bowed his head and kissed his fingertips.

That night, he didn't sleep all night, afraid of having nightmares, he didn't dare to sleep, and he couldn't fall asleep.When it came to the regular training day of the volleyball club every week, Xu Yunqing decided to go after thinking about it.

"Has the form been filled out?" the instructor asked him as soon as he arrived.

Xu Yunqing didn't understand, so he asked, "What watch?" while looking for Li Shuang in the venue.

"The registration form for the school volleyball game. I sent Li Shuang the form for your department. Didn't you get it?"

Xu Yunqing frowned: "Teacher, I didn't say I would participate."

"There are only a few people who play well in each department. Why don't you have any sense of collective honor?" The teacher looked at him dissatisfied, "You didn't get the watch? Where is Li Shuang?" He looked around, " Why haven't you come yet, let me call and ask, are you from the same department?"

Xu Yunqing nodded vaguely, without saying anything, turned around and went to the side for training.He was quite absent-minded and failed to serve the ball several times. After about a quarter of an hour, Li Shuang hurried over.

"What's the matter with that watch? Didn't you send it out? Why didn't Xu Yunqing get it?" The teacher pointed to Xu Yunqing and called him over.

"I'm sorry, teacher." Li Shuang said softly, "I had something to do that day, and I forgot to give it to him. I brought it here, let's fill it out now." After speaking, he took out the registration form from his bag and handed it over.

She is lying.Xu Yunqing took the watch and thought to himself, but he didn't know whether it was a good sign or not.He glanced at Li Shuang, who was also looking at him, but quickly looked away.

"Fill out the form." Li Shuang just said so.

For a long time after that, they didn't touch again.Originally, apart from this accident, they were indeed not familiar with each other.Sometimes Xu Yunqing comforted himself that maybe Li Shuang didn't see it, maybe he wouldn't say it, the former was deceiving himself, and the latter he wasn't sure about.Most of the time, I still worry about whether Li Shuang will tell others, and even think about what excuses she should use to cover up if she reveals it, but I also know in my heart that no excuses will probably be useless.

Despite the uneasiness, the days are always going on day by day.He went to the small theater with Tao Liyang as usual, watching an all-night movie, like a carnival before the announcement of a big gamble, and he still wanted to kiss his face and lips at a certain moment, but he did become more restrained.

In the volleyball match, Xu Yunqing rushed the ducks to the racks, and even though he said he was making up the numbers, he actually won an MVP.The next day he went to the General Affairs Office to get the medals, and he met Li Shuang.

"Can we talk about it?" He passed by without squinting, and Li Shuang suddenly stopped him.

Xu Yunqing's heart skipped a beat: "What are you talking about?"

Li Shuang glanced at the teachers and students who came in and out from time to time, with a perplexed expression: "Let's change places."

"Sister, I still have something to do." Xu Yunqing refused.

It's not a lie, a new version of A Dream in the Garden is being performed in the theater of N city, he doesn't like to watch Yu opera, but Tao Liyang is writing a script that has related plots, so he agreed to watch it with him.

"Soon, it won't take too much of your time." Li Shuang insisted, with a hint of pleading on his face.

Xu Yunqing took a deep breath, and finally said: "Let's go."

"Now we can talk." They found an empty classroom nearby, Xu Yunqing asked her a little warily.

Li Shuang closed the door, looked at him for a while, walked up to him, and said straight to the point: "Can you pretend to be my boyfriend for a while?"

"What?" This topic was far from what Xu Yunqing had expected, even though she was very straightforward, Xu Yunqing didn't understand it at all.

Knowing that he had heard it clearly, Li Shuang repeated it: "I hope you can pretend to be my boyfriend."

"why?"

Li Shuang said stubbornly: "It's not important, you promise me first."

"It doesn't make sense." Xu Yunqing said, "There must be a reason."

"You are a good fit."

"I don't understand." Xu Yunqing sneered and shook his head.

After half a minute of stalemate, Li Shuang opened his mouth, clenched his hands unconsciously, "I saw it that day... I thought at first that you were together. But it's not, right? So you shouldn't want him to know , and I don’t want others to know about you. After all, you will probably be an artist in the future. This line of business...Since this is the case, having a girlfriend on the surface is not a bad thing for you, at least it can deceive people..."

Li Shuang obviously thought about what she said for a long time, and she spoke quickly, Xu Yunqing interrupted her with a stiff tone, "Senior sister, are you threatening me?"

"That's not what I meant." Li Shuang hurriedly explained, "I really need you to pretend for a while..."

"Someone is chasing you, don't you want to?" Xu Yunqing asked with a frightened and eager look on her face, which did not seem to be fake.

Li Shuang shook her head: "No."

"How long is a period of time?"

Li Shuang showed a dazed expression: "I'm not sure."

Xu Yunqing frowned, stepped back and leaned on the desk next to him: "If you encounter any trouble and need help, you can just tell me. Pretending to be a boyfriend is really ridiculous, I can't promise you."

"I……"

"I'm sorry. I can't help you with this matter." Xu Yunqing's heart was overwhelmed, but the expression on his face was still barely maintained, "As for what you just said, I don't understand a single word. I don't know what you saw and who he is , I don’t even understand why I need to hide from others. There is nothing else, senior sister, I will go first.”

After he finished speaking, he turned around and left. When he reached the door, he heard Li Shuang calling him from behind: "I didn't mean to threaten you, but I just wanted to ask you to help me. No matter what, I won't tell anyone about you." ,you do not need to worry."

Xu Yunqing's footsteps paused for a moment, without looking back, he opened the door and left quickly.

He ran all the way to the door of the library that he had made an appointment with Tao Liyang before stopping, his palms were covered with cold sweat.Although Li Shuang didn't know the reason, Xu Yunqing understood that she was right about one thing, he was afraid, and he dared not let others know his love.From the day Li Shuang mentioned it, he had actually completely lost his sense of proportion. The only thing he still remembered was that he refused to admit it.

Just a few minutes of talking had exhausted him.Xu Yunqing sat down on the edge of the flower bed, with his head buried in his arms, like an ostrich.

After an unknown amount of time, Tao Liyang gently pushed his shoulder, "Yun Qing, what's wrong with you? Are you uncomfortable?"

"Why did you come here?" Xu Yunqing looked up at him.

Tao Liyang glanced at his watch wonderingly after hearing the words: "Isn't the appointment at six o'clock? It's not yet..." He said halfway, then consciously changed his words, "I'll be earlier next time."

Xu Yunqing lowered his head and said nothing, Tao Liyang squatted down and looked at him worriedly: "Are you uncomfortable? Why don't we go?"

"No." Xu Yunqing shook his head.

"Then don't be angry." Tao Liyang said, gently pinching his arm.

Xu Yunqing sighed secretly, stood up, and pulled him up: "I'm not angry, I'm just... just a little annoying to wait."

"It's fine if you don't get angry. I'll wait for you next time." Tao Liyang handed him the box on the side, "Didn't you say you wanted to eat the mashed taro ③ that you bought along the way just now?"

"We're queuing up again." Xu Yunqing tried his best to sound normal.

"No. There are not many people today." Tao Liyang didn't care, and asked him, "Did you get the medal?"

"En." Xu Yunqing remembered the medal, took it out from his pocket, and hung it around Tao Liyang's neck, "For you."

"What are you doing for me?" Tao Liyang said with a smile in his voice, "It's not like you don't know how bad my volleyball is."

Xu Yunqing's action just now was purely subconscious, but now he thought about it, but he didn't want him to take it off: "I just want to give you the first place, you keep it."

"Then what kind of first place is this?" Tao Liyang really didn't take it, he just asked with a smile.

Xu Yunqing didn't answer, looking at Tao Liyang's smile, he suddenly had an idea in his heart: no need to compare with anyone, if he could, he just wanted to give him his heart as a laurel crown.

Unique, but dare not say it out loud.

The author says:

①: Xu Yunqing is from the south, mentioned in Chapter 39, ②: Li Shuang and Xu Yunqing are in the volleyball club, mentioned in Chapter 9, ③: Yam paste: mentioned in Chapter 28