summer passerby

Time flies, and Jiang Xindong won another prize in the last math competition.

He Ting was overjoyed, but anxious, his boyfriend got good grades at his fingertips, and he won prizes like countless treasures, but he has nothing now, and he might not have it in the future.

After the Spring Festival, Jiang Xindong joined the investment bank internship, and He Ting was occupied by the ensuing exams for most of the time, and the two of them got together less often.

In March, Ye Zhiming celebrated his birthday, and he said that he hoped to go to the beach during the summer vacation.Xu Ming secretly booked the air tickets and hotels for the three of them to Sanya in August, and asked He Ting to keep it a secret.

In April, the graduation party of University A sent out program invitations, and Crush's name was on the list. After Zhuang Gaoyang's matchmaking several times, several old members finally got together to rehearse.

In May, the air began to be humid and hot. Jiang Xindong boiled iced plum soup. Although he was very busy, he still took time to take books to accompany He to listen and review every day.

The peaceful days are fleeting, and if you look closely, the college entrance examination in June will pass by in a flash.

He Ting remembered that the sun was shining brightly that day, and a group of anxiously waiting parents surrounded the school gate.

At five o'clock, the sun was still relentlessly basking on the ground. Jiang Xindong was standing at a street corner not far from the crowd with his earphones on. The slanting sunlight blurred the outline of his facial features, but He Ting still recognized it at a glance. A solid figure.

After his grandmother passed away, He Ting once thought that at the age of 35, he would sink to the bottom of the sea forever, because his previous life was so mediocre and joyless.

However, the appearance of Jiang Xindong seemed to be the first sprout to emerge from the ground in his rotting world, which to some extent made him dispel this idea.

From then on, he was no longer alone, he could have something to look forward to, something to worry about, and finally found a reason not to sink into the bottom of the sea—the bottom of the sea was too cold and dark, and he wanted to stay with warm and bright people.

Not far away, the candidates gradually dispersed. He jumped over the surging crowd, walked up and hugged Jiang Xindong shamelessly, and then quickly let go before others found out.

My boyfriend has a clean smell, like a mixture of mint and watermelon, refreshing and cold.Before letting go, He Ting couldn't help but take another breath, along the nose, straight to the chest, the hot and dry air seemed to dissolve, leaving only the sweetness of summer.

The horn of the car on the street rang from time to time, Jiang Xindong turned around in surprise, and smiled shortly after recognizing the person: "Why, I didn't pass the exam and asked for comfort?"

The sun was too bright, He Ting took off Jiang Xindong's peaked cap and put it on top of his own head "consciously": "That's not true, the exam is not bad."

To borrow old Zhou's auspicious words, he didn't have time to take the art test in the first half of the year, so he can only pin his hopes on the college entrance examination in June.

However, he didn't dare to expect to get back what others had learned after three years of studying hard in half a semester, so he had to listen to fate.It really doesn't work, just like his original idea, repeat the reading.

In a word, as long as He Wenbin doesn't act like a monster, everything is easy to talk about.

Jiang Xindong seemed to have sensed something, and turned to look at him: "I'm about to become a regular."

"Oh," He Ting said expressionlessly, "and then?"

Jiang Xindong lifted part of the brim of his hat, and pressed a bright red fingerprint on the center of his forehead like a signature sign: "I can afford you."

He Ting had a smile in his eyes: "I have a bad temper, and it's not easy to raise."

"Then we have to raise it even more," Jiang Xindong lazily put his hands on He Ting's shoulders, "What if the child starves to death outside alone?"

"What should I do?" He Ting lowered his head thoughtfully, suddenly remembered his former self, and answered without thinking: "Sometimes death is a relief."

Jiang Xindong's pupils tightened, and he flicked his forehead vigorously, his eyes suddenly became more serious: "What nonsense?"

He Ting stared at him blankly for a moment, then immediately put on a hippie smile: "I didn't say it was me."

The afterglow of the sun spread all over the ground, and the distant figure was stretched very long. Chen Linxi came out from the shade of the tree, her lips turned white.

She came to see He Ting today, but accidentally caught a glimpse of the ambiguous embrace between the two boys just now.

Suddenly remembering the phrase "I can't possibly like you" that He Ting said to her in the hospital half a year ago, she suddenly realized.

After the college entrance examination, Ye Zhiming found a part-time job in a coffee shop, and Xu Ming followed suit.Time suddenly stopped, and there was a lot of free time, He Ting was not used to it for a while.

He took Erqi back to raise him for a few days, but Erqi and Hu Dou had cultivated a solid revolutionary friendship in the past half a year. Erqi, who didn't see his little friend, was listless all day long, and Meng Banmei was also reluctant to part with him, so He Ting He sent the dog back.

These days, even dogs have to be in pairs.

He Ting surfed the BBS of University A at home. The band Yi Fan participated in the audition had gained a certain amount of exposure, which caused a lot of topics and traffic on the forum, but Crush was inevitably mentioned in almost every post.

Some people lamented the disbandment of Crush, some looked forward to the performance at the graduation party, some made a short video of Crush's previous performance as a commemoration, and wished each member a bright future.

The short film almost included all of Crush's online videos. On the stage, Jiang Xindong looked forward to flying, his eyes were full of enthusiasm, and he was dedicated.

He Ting recalled carefully, that Jiang Xindong, who was always holding the guitar in high spirits, is now submerged in the tedious work day after day, working like a clockwork numb machine, calm but indifferent

Jiang Xindong should belong to the stage.

He came to such a conclusion, the more he watched it, the more sad he became, silently saved the URL of the short video, and quit the forum.

A week later, Zhuang Gaoyang found He Ting and asked him to persuade Jiang Xindong one more time.

Because Crush's performance at the graduation party of University A the day before yesterday was uploaded to the video site, it became popular, and the entertainment company once again threw out an olive branch, inviting them to participate in the summer draft.

"You know, I think Brother Dong is like a real living person when he is playing in the band. His love for music is deeply rooted in his bones, and he can't deceive anyone," Zhuang Gaoyang said from the bottom of his heart. There will be more and more worries about responsibility, and if we want to do something we like wholeheartedly regardless of rewards, this is our last chance."

He Ting hung up the phone, looked up at the clock in the middle of the wall, it was 1:[-] noon, on Sunday, Jiang Xindong was still working overtime at his desk.

He slowly walked to the table and sat down, called up a short video made by netizens for Crush from his mobile phone, and released it publicly.

The familiar melody rang in his ears, Jiang Xindong was stunned, his hand typing on the keyboard mechanically stopped in mid-air, and he tilted his head and asked, "Why did you play this all of a sudden?"

"I just got off the phone with Brother Yang." He Ting looked up at him, "He told me about the entertainment company looking for you."

Jiang Xindong was noncommittal: "Oh."

He Ting frowned: "You said that your company can apply to delay the entry time, why don't you try?"

Jiang Xindong stared at the computer screen without turning his head: "Siyi doesn't have time to participate either."

He Ting: "They found a new drummer, your junior."

Jiang Xindong still looked at the screen and didn't speak any more.Occasionally there is the sound of summer cicadas chirping outside the window, mixed with the continuous beating of keyboards inside the house, like a strange summer song.

He Ting waited for a long time but did not get a reply. He licked the corners of his lips and looked straight at Jiang Xindong: "Are you running away? You are afraid that you will be tempted after you go to participate, and you will never be able to return to normal work, because singing and playing a band That's what you want to do the most, right?"

Jiang Xindong stopped what he was doing in a daze, lowered his eyes for a moment, and replied in a low voice: "I don't deny this."

He Ting breathed a sigh of relief, in the past Jiang Xindong always avoided talking about this issue, but today he finally pried a crack open.

But he was not happy for too long, because Jiang Xindong quickly turned his head to look at him, and replied calmly in a dry voice: "But He Ting, I am not like you. I was born with no worries about food and clothing. There are other people who provide material conditions for you. I have responsibilities that I have to take. It’s true that delaying entry is not a big deal. I can go to the show, but after that? It made me realize how much I love music, but But having to choose another life? Don't you think that's cruel?"

"I didn't do what I wanted." He Ting was not persuaded, his brows furrowed deeper, and his voice raised inadvertently, "I've been fighting against He Wenbin, and if I really like it, why would I choose another life?"

Jiang Xindong closed the computer and sighed: "Then what should my dad do? What if he suddenly needs an operation and I can't afford the money? What should you do? If your dad refuses to let you study art, should I be indifferent? Watching you give up your preferences?"

He Ting couldn't answer these difficult questions, but insisted that things would never be so absolute.After a while, he said stubbornly and firmly: "If you don't try, you will always have only one choice in your life."

Jiang Xindong paused slightly.

He and He Ting have always been two completely opposite people. He Ting is an idealist who grew up in a greenhouse, clean and pure, and always has his own persistence.

However, he walked a few times in the world, learned to compromise and make concessions prematurely, and chose a life path that should be taken for granted, but always forgot to make himself happy.

If you want to get something, you have to pay. There are not many stories where you can have both. He has long understood this truth.

There is no right or wrong, only trade-offs.

After a long time, he frowned, showing fatigue: "Let's stop here today, I'm a little tired, so I'll go back first."

Jiang Xindong walked quickly, only the air conditioner was humming in the room, and the moment the door was closed, He Ting's mind also buzzed, like a machine that had been in disrepair for a long time. how it works.

In the afternoon, he was going to pick up Zonggu, who hadn't returned to China for a year, because his mind was full of thoughts about what happened at noon, so he went to the wrong terminal and made people wait for half an hour.

This time Zonggu returned home early without telling his family, and asked if he could live in his home for a while.

He Ting had a cold personality. He didn't have many friends when he was a child. The only place he often visited was Zonggu's house, and he received a lot of care. It was rare that Zonggu took the initiative to mention it this time, and there was no reason to refuse.

Moreover, Jiang Xindong is going on a business trip tomorrow, and he will be there for a week.

He chewed gum and said casually, "Live as you please."

The two of them moved all their luggage home and had dinner. Zong Gu saw that he had been restless and depressed all day, so he proposed to go out for a drink.

The resident singer sang "One Hundred Years of Solitude", and after a few drinks, He Ting remembered the first time he heard Jiang Xindong sing.

It was also in such a bar that day, the lights flickered brightly, outlining the slender figure on the stage.

Jiang Xindong's lazy and magnetic voice resounded, like sunset and dusk, like light beams in early autumn, like a brand mark, which was accurately branded in his memory.

Since then, I have never forgotten it.

Later, he drank a lot, and when he was half drunk and half awake, he pointed to the stage and said sadly to Zong Gu: "My boyfriend sings very well, but he may not perform again in the future."

With a cigarette in his mouth, Zonggu calmly looked at the person in front of him who was troubled by love, and slightly raised his eyelids: "I advise you to enjoy the moment when you are in love, and don't take it too seriously."

"Why?" He was puzzled.

"The gay circle is too chaotic, and there are very few people who can make it to the end," Zong Gu said lightly, "If your boyfriend is really as good as you say, there will only be more temptations in the future."

"You don't believe him?" He Ting frowned.

Zong Gu smiled softly: "I don't believe in human nature."

Jiang Xindong, who sings well, went to the rehearsal room where the band used to go alone in the afternoon. There were no musical instruments in the basement, only a few scattered chairs left.

He rented it for eight hours, hugged the guitar, played the few songs he often performed over and over again, and waited persistently for the moment when he got bored.

When he played No. 15 times, he suddenly realized that that moment would never come, at least not today.

It is boring to repeat a form at work for the second time, but singing is not a form.

They are not numb and cold numbers, nor are they boring money-making machines. They are sustenance that carries emotions, stories, and expectations.

The last song he played was "Listen to Listen". He heard that this was his mother's nickname for him when he was a child, so Jiang Xindong mixed selfishness when choosing the song title - he wanted him to think of this song every time he thinks of his mother .

Coming out of the basement, it was already dark, and there were almost no pedestrians on the street, and occasionally a few cars drove past him with flashing lights.

He suddenly missed the person who had an argument with him only at noon, turned on his phone to check the time, and He Ting sent him a WeChat message two hours ago:

"Sorry, I shouldn't have forced you."

He pressed the phone and dialed the number. The phone rang for a long time before someone picked it up, but the voice was not He Ting.

"He Ting?" He said and stared at the phone screen again to make sure that he did not dial the wrong number.

The person who answered the phone should also be a young man, and said in a low, smoky voice, "He's already asleep."

Jiang Xindong paused: "Then you are?"

The man answered very briefly: "His friend."

Jiang Xindong frowned slightly: "Why is his cell phone here with you?"

"I live with him, you can call back tomorrow morning." The man yawned, seemed sleepy, and didn't want to say more.

Jiang Xindong let out an "oh", remembering that a few days ago He heard that he was going to pick up a friend at the airport today. Although he was a little curious, he didn't ask any more questions.

Jiang Xindong left in a hurry the next morning, and Meng Banmei came out of the bathroom just in time to see the wallet he left on the table.She picked up the wallet, and suddenly a one-inch photo slipped out of it.

She picked up the photo, and when she recognized the person inside, her fingers suddenly froze.

The young man with bright eyes and white teeth in the photo is not Jiang Xindong, but He Ting. The 17-year-old He Ting has a clean smile and is even pretty. His eyes are as clear as the warm sun in the early summer morning.

But at the moment she couldn't appreciate it, she didn't understand why her son put He Ting's photo in his wallet.

She picked up the wallet and checked it again, and found that there were no other photos in it, not even Jiang Xindong's own.

Many small fragments of memory flooded into her mind in an instant, and it was extremely chaotic.