Shocked in late autumn

On the weekend, the sun was shining brightly. The apartment was located in an old alley. Walking through the street, you could hear Yueqin, erhu playing and singing. A group of retired old men sat around a stone table, exchanging folk arts in one go.

There is a breakfast shop around the corner that sells soy milk and fried dough sticks, as well as steamed dumplings. The facade looks dirty, as if covered with a layer of oil that cannot be washed off, but it still does not affect the business of the shop.

In fact, choosing a high-grade restaurant with a clean environment is a good way to entertain friends, but Xu Chenyu felt that it was not serious enough, so he planned to cook for Ji Songlin himself.

There is a vegetable market at the back door of the apartment, which is full of noise and the atmosphere of the market. Xu Chenyu got up at 07:30, walked all the way there, bought crucian carp, vegetables, and then went to the freezer with chicken, duck and fish to choose meat, etc. When checking out, both hands are full of ingredients, like Chinese New Year.

The proprietress of the breakfast shop is wearing an apron, and the original pink color of hellokitty can no longer be seen.

"Xiao Xu, good morning," the proprietress smiled, and she looked friendly and easy-going: "Would you like some soy milk?"

"Morning, Aunt Su, add another basket of steamed stuffed buns for me. I want shrimps." Xu Chenyu fiddled with it for a long time, and finally freed up one hand to take the oiled paper.

"Buying so many vegetables?"

"It's the weekend, I invited friends over for dinner."

Aunt Su's eyes flicked back and forth between the two big bags of ingredients, and the handsome boy couldn't hide the joyful brows, and then burst into a knowing smile.

"Are you talking about someone? The young man knows how to love people."

In the eyes of the neighbors, Xu Chenyu is the kind of child from other people's family. He is handsome, polite, and has a decent job. He is very familiar with the whole street. Nonsense.

Xu Chenyu weighed his words in his heart, with a shy smile, he only said that he was a good friend.

The word "object" left Aunt Su's mouth, like melted syrup, and sweetened all the way to his heart.On the way back to the apartment, the morning sun reflected on Xu Chenyu's face, his steps were brisk, and even the old street seemed full of life to him.

Opening the door of the apartment, Xu Chenyu went straight into the kitchen.

The kitchen knife collided with the cutting board and made a clanging sound, the pots and pans were crackling non-stop, the faucet was running too fast, and the sesame oil was poured into the water-soaked green vegetables before it was boiled, the oil splashed all over Xu Chenyu, He used the pot cover as a shield, and with a spatula in one hand, he approached the pan with cautious steps. Billows of black smoke hovered under the hood, and the smell made the neighbors downstairs think there was a fire. The normally silent kitchen was like a battlefield. .

An hour later, Xu Chenyu was ashamed, and brought out three or four plates of appalling results, including fried water spinach, charred crucian carp, and a plate of ingredients that could not be distinguished even if his eyesight was stretched to the limit.

He couldn't use the knife smoothly, and the back of his hand was accidentally scratched by the sharp blade. Onion foam was stained on his collar, and two blisters were scalded by oil stars on his neck. At first glance, it looked quite symmetrical.

Xu Chenyu had a complicated complexion, squatting halfway in front of the dining table as if discouraged, it would be too outrageous to entertain guests with such food, on second thought, how about making a cucumber, which is simple and delicious.

After a quarter of an hour of tinkering, Xu Chenyu managed to bring out three dishes, including a cold salad with clear water.

Xu Chenyu swore that this was the best he could do.

Looking down at his watch, it was already three o'clock in the afternoon. Xu Chenyu tore off his clothes and sniffed. He smelled of oily stars all over his body. Big problem today.

what to wear?

Shirt and trousers, it looks too formal, simple sportswear, looks like a student, T-shirt and jacket, it seems very ordinary, just when he was struggling, he received a call from Ji Songlin.

"I've arrived at the gate of the community, which building and which floor is it?"

"You need to swipe your card to enter the door, wait a moment, I will come down to pick you up."

Just after hanging up the phone, Xu Chenyu quickly took a solid white T, put on black trousers and went out. This attire was the same as his usual, his hair was disheveled, but it couldn't stop his youthful handsomeness. Looking at the past, he looks like a college student in his early 20s.

Xu Chenyu adjusted his appearance while pressing the elevator, he shook his head and chuckled, probably laughing at himself, how come the more he lived, the more he went back.

When he walked to the courtyard, there was a crowd of people at the gate, Xu Chenyu still saw him at a glance. The man was wearing a well-tailored white shirt, ironed to the edges, and a light gray overcoat. between man and boy.

Compared with the previous two times, Ji Songlin looks a little different today, he seems to have dressed up specially.

Ji Songlin looked back.

At the moment when Ji Songlin's eyes met Shang Ji's, Missing slammed into the sunlight, and the ground was shattered golden.

A sense of reunion after a long absence slowly rose in his heart, and it was the first time that Xu Chenyu felt the ancient saying so clearly: "①I saw the king come, and suddenly felt my hut, the mountains and rivers are beautiful."

Ji Songlin was holding a bouquet of flowers in his arms, it was peonies, the flowers were bright and clean, blooming like the morning sun.

He stood on the street full of people, stepped through the rolling red dust, and walked towards Xu Chenyu, a full 150 steps. He walked slowly and solemnly, as if going to a March invitation in spring.

When entering the room, Ji Songlin handed the bouquet to Xu Chenyu.

"This is the first time I have received flowers, they are very beautiful, thank you."

"As long as you like it."

Xu Chenyu turned around to look for the white porcelain vase. The person who collected flowers for the first time was in a happy mood. In a place where Ji Songlin could not see, he lowered his head, rubbed the petals with the tip of his nose, and sniffed. Smell greedily for a long time.

It wasn't until many years later that Xu Chenyu found out that Ji Songlin had spent six days searching for many flower shops, walking through rows of flower stands, his temples covered with sweat, and finally found this species in a shop far away.

This bouquet of peonies is called Sunset Coral. As time goes by, the flower color will change from orange to bright yellow, like the setting sun and their first meeting, romantic and poetic.

Xu Chenyu, who got into the kitchen, turned around and said, "The master who brought the water hasn't arrived yet. I made carrot juice. If you're thirsty, have a drink first."

Ji Songlin raised the glass by the table, and looked at the small apartment while drinking. The main color style is black, white and gray, without luxurious furnishings, but the details are ingeniously embellished. It can be seen that the owner of the small apartment has good taste.

Rice bowls have been set on the dining table, and there is also a small plate of washed strawberries, which are fresh, plump and colorful, like red agates.

The kitchen trash can was full of wasted ingredients, and only the green onions and coriander were left intact. Xu Chenyu scratched his head when he saw it. Could it be that the first dinner should be a takeaway?

Just thinking about it, I heard Ji Songlin's voice beside me: "Why are you hiding here alone?"

Looking at the messy kitchen again, the cutting board is across the stove, a few green peppers are lying lazily, the garbage that hasn't had time to throw away.

Ji Songlin suddenly understood. He leaned his back against the wall, hugged his elbows, and met Xu Chenyu's slightly embarrassed face. The two suddenly gave a snort and smiled at each other.

Xu Chenyu brought three plates of cold dishes to the table, so he had no choice but to tell the truth: "I really don't have any experience. I was thinking about the first dinner, and it would be more sincere to cook by myself. I didn't expect it to be like this."

Ji Songlin said: "I'll come, just bring me the vegetables in the refrigerator."

Xu Chenyu scratched the back of his head with a troubled expression on his face.

"Why?" Seeing his complicated face, Ji Songlin raised his eyebrows slightly.

"I ruined all the vegetables I bought today, and there are only these left on the table...how about I go to the supermarket again."

"Now?"

Ji Songlin looked down at his watch, it was 45:[-].

"I guess there are some fresh vegetables in the supermarket," Ji Songlin laughed. He took off his coat, rolled up the sleeves of his shirt, opened the locker to check the ingredients, and thought about what else he could do.

Xu Chenyu once again saw the hideous scar on his arm. This scar seemed to hide a period of the past. Don't say that Xu Chenyu is too sensitive. In fact, when you think about it carefully, Ji Songlin is like an intriguing book. A smile is full of stories.

Xu Chenyu wanted to ask, but felt it was too abrupt. They didn't seem to be that close, and unless the other party voluntarily opened his mouth, all inquiries would be out of bounds.

Ji Songlin caught a glimpse of a pack of dried noodles piled up in the corner: "Do you eat noodles?"

After hesitating for a moment, Xu Chenyu came back to his senses and said: "It's all right, I will eat everything except fish."

Ji Songlin stretched out his hand to pull out the dried noodles, and there was an appropriate sound from the kitchen. This man washed vegetables, cut vegetables, and put them into the pot. All his actions were done in one go, smooth and smooth, completely opposite to the novice in the kitchen who was just fighting a war.

Xu Chenyu looked at him from the side, suddenly a little embarrassed: "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Ji Songlin held a kitchen knife in his hand, and he cut vegetables fluently: "If there are still fresh vegetables, you can wash them for me."

"Uh..." Xu Chenyu scratched his hair, "Then I can't seem to help."

Ji Songlin lowered his head and smiled, the corners of his mouth curled up: "You stand at the door, and be careful of the oily smoke."

Xu Chenyu took two steps back, just leaning against the wall, looking at Ji Songlin's busy figure, he smiled involuntarily, and the suspicion in his heart disappeared.

The youthful years he has passed through have taught Xu Chenyu to live in peace with loneliness. For 26 years, he has walked the world alone. This small apartment has always been just a temporary habitat. Suddenly one day, a person broke into him. Xu Chenyu actually felt that the hut gave birth to a feeling of home.

This picture, mixed with a faint ebony musk, paused in the gap of time and lived in Xu Chenyu's heart for many years.

The afterglow just moved to the horizon, as long as you look up, you can see the late autumn glow.

Dinner is very simple, it is plain noodles, served with a handful of green onion, and a fried egg on the side.

Xu Chenyu lowered his head and took two mouthfuls. The taste was unexpectedly delicious. He raised his face and smiled with dimples, and praised the deliciousness seven or eight times in a row: "The cooking skills are good, anyway, they are much better than me."

Ji Songlin picked up a chopstick noodle and ate it neither too fast nor too slowly: "If there is an extra crucian carp, I can still make you a bowl of soup."

Xu Chenyu looked at the trash can, and then turned his gaze back. The two started to discuss the recipe of crucian carp soup. Ji Songlin took a bite of the corner of the golden egg and told him the secret and method of making the soup. He smiled when he spoke Yes, the peach blossom eyes are bent into crescent moons, and the eyelashes are curled and long.

Xu Chenyu stopped his chopsticks and listened to such small daily things with great interest: "Today's time is not coincidental, why don't we make an appointment for another weekend, and you teach me how to make this dish."

Ji Songlin put down his chopsticks, hugged his elbows, and had a faint smile on his lips, a little naughty: "I can teach you, but you have to be a teacher first."

"Appreciate the master..." Xu Chenyu folded his arms as he did, and raised his chin slightly: "But I'm not going to perform the ceremony..." After finishing speaking, he stared at the plate The cold dish, the green cucumber lying quietly on the kiln white glaze plate, he stretched out his index finger and dragged the plate between the two of them.

Xu Chenyu said with some anticipation: "Teacher Ji, try it and see if it is qualified enough to be your student."

The smile on Ji Songlin's face melted, he picked up a piece of pickled cucumber with chopsticks, and put it into his mouth.

For a moment, Ji Songlin seemed to see the revolving door of life, how can I describe it... The salt was too heavy, he was panicked, too much vinegar was put in, so sour that people's teeth chattered, and with the addition of sesame oil, his tongue suddenly hurt, if Ji Songlin His face will change, he should go from wheat-colored skin to purple-red.

But fortunately, the elite lawyers who have seen big scenes are not in vain for so many years. Under Xu Chenyu's slightly complicated eyes, he swallowed calmly.

Xu Chenyu saw his face change slightly, and asked in a low voice, "Is it hard to eat?"

"It's not bad." Ji Songlin covered his face with his hands and coughed, and then explained seriously: "It's just...it's the first time I've eaten food with such a special taste...."

No matter how stupid people are, they can guess that this is a word of relief. Xu Chenyu was amused by him: "Really? How special can it be?"

He turned his hands pinching the chopsticks in one direction, and tasted his own masterpiece.

Xu Chenyu spit it out without staying in his mouth for three seconds, choking him to cough, red tide quickly crawling up his cheeks, Xu Chenyu understood one thing in the extreme stimulation of taste, in this life, probably Out of touch with the kitchen.

"I obviously followed the recipe, but it's too bad."

"It's pretty good to be able to make a finished product after cooking for the first time."

A person who wields guns and sticks all day long, never touches his fingers, and never enters the kitchen, uses a kitchen knife to make soup for him. Just thinking of this makes Ji Songlin feel warm in his heart, and even with the strange taste in his mouth, he also Softened by three points.

The cold cucumber deprived Xu Chenyu of all his attention, he didn't see what the person opposite him was doing, when he looked up again, Ji Songlin handed him a round and bright red strawberry.

He looked for it on purpose. Among all the strawberries, this one looked the plumpest and sweetest.

"Eat one and pass it through your mouth."

Dust was flying under the dim light, Xu Chenyu reached out and took it.

There was a small cut on the back of his hand, the blood coagulated and formed a small scab, and his neck was hot red, probably when Xu Chenyu turned around, the skin hidden under his collar was exposed.

Ji Songlin frowned, and said, "You're burnt, so don't deal with it anyway."

For the anti-drug police who live in the shadow of swords and swords, being macheted is even light, which is really not an injury.Xu Chenyu curled his fingers back and hid the incision.

"I usually bump into each other a lot, it's okay."

"Do you have a Band-Aid at home? If not, I'll go out and buy it."

Seeing that he really wanted to get up, Xu Chenyu raised his hand to stop him: "Oh, no need," and added: "The medicine box is in the locker behind you, the third drawer."

"wait."

Ji Songlin turned around, opened the drawer, and there was a transparent box inside.He took out iodine, cotton swabs, and when he tore off the Band-Aid, the packaging bag made a slight crumpling sound, which echoed in the sky.

"Give me your hand."

Xu Chenyu stretched out his wounded hand, and after a while, the sunset glow faded, and the stars quietly climbed up to the sky, and the warm yellow lights made the room bright.

Xu Chenyu could see clearly that Ji Songlin's eyes were as beautiful as jewels, and he also saw his worry. Ji Songlin dipped some iodine, and applied the cotton swab to the wound bit by bit, it didn't hurt, it was itchy.

The two of them were within a millimeter of each other, but they kept the distance. Through the air, Xu Chenyu seemed to be able to feel the warmth from Ji Songlin's palm that was close at Chi Chi.

The indifferent touch hooked his heart so high that it hung in mid-air, wanting to fall but not falling.

It wasn't until the moment the Band-Aid was attached that the back of Xu Chenyu's hand slightly touched Ji Songlin's fingertips, and he withdrew before he could feel it.

"Let's deal with the neck as well." Ji Songlin turned behind Xu Chenyu, holding a cotton swab in his hand, and leaned slightly: "If it hurts, tell me?"

"It doesn't hurt, I haven't felt it for a long time."

Xu Chenyu sat upright and didn't dare to move. Following the slight movement of the cotton swab, Ji Songlin's hot and humid breath passed behind his ears, shoulders, and reached his neck.

Silently, the little bit of breath continued to spread out one by one, and the whole body melted in the ebony fragrance, and the atmosphere began to change. The two stood and sat, getting very close.

Xu Chenyu lowered his eyes, the outline of his jaw was smooth, and the warm light swirled on the tip of his nose. He reflected the stars outside the window, and the back of his neck pulled out a sexy arc.

Ji Songlin exhaled while helping him apply the medicine, the eyelashes under his eyes trembled, but his eyes were involuntarily drawn away by the back of Xu Chenyu's neck. Jade is also like a swan with its neck up.

The cotton swab landed on the wound was lighter than a feather. After a while, Xu Chenyu couldn't stand the itching, so he asked, "Is it all right?"

The voice brought back Ji Songlin's thoughts of running wildly, he came back to his senses, and suddenly straightened up: "Okay, be careful not to get wet these two days."

Xu Chenyu put one hand on his neck, and couldn't help pressing the band-aid. The band-aid seemed to capture the warmth of another person, and through the thin barrier, healed the small wound.

The author says:

①From Xin Qiji.