Time makes you fall

◎Tracking◎

At noon the next day, Zhu Yao hesitated for a long time whether to sneak to the teacher's office.

In the end, I decided to go. After all, a sentence like "If my mother finds you, please don't talk to her" is too weird to send in text messages, and it will definitely provoke "why" questions.

In fact, speaking in person may not be able to speak better, but Zhu Yao feels that with the blessing of expression and tone, misunderstandings should be reduced.

Sorry, my mother is such a vulgar and utilitarian person.

I'm sorry, the person who caused you embarrassment is connected with my blood in this way.

Zhu Yao's cheeks were hot, and when he walked to the office, he realized that he had another purpose hidden in his heart——

I want to see Qu Qingcheng's face.

After knowing that November [-]th is her birthday and Scorpio is her zodiac sign.

I want to see if I understand her a little more.

Passionate and jealous.Deep scheming.Cold outside and hot inside.

I want to see what kind of person she is in these constellation descriptions that have nothing to do with her.

Zhu Yao deliberately came to the office when everyone was going to eat. She guessed that Qu Qingcheng was not there, because she was so popular like Qu Qingcheng, she must have been called by other teachers in the office to have dinner together.

Zhu Yao wanted to wait for himself, to avoid the chaos of a sudden meeting, and for lunch or something, just go buy a bean paste bread later.

No, I never want to eat bean paste bread again.

Zhu Yao thought of the bean paste bread that Shang Xiaoran threw to her, and she threw back to Shang Xiaoran.

Before Mingming, because he shared with Qu Qingcheng and ate a red bean bread, the self who was always hesitating between the blueberry sandwich yeast bread and the meat floss bread always reached out to the red bean bread in the end.

People are really weird.

Making two diametrically opposite choices turned out to be because of the same person.

"I will only eat bean paste bread from now on" and "I will never eat bean paste bread again" are all because of Qu Qingcheng.

When Zhu Yao found out, it turned out that Qu Qingcheng, who appeared suddenly, had already left such a strong mark on her youth.

No matter when she is 20, 30 or 40 years old, whenever she sees bean paste bread, she will think of Qu Qingcheng.

At that time, Zhu Yao didn't know that she would hold Qu Qingcheng's shoulders in the supermarket, stick it on Qu Qingche's back like a plaster, and whisper in Qu Qingcheng's ear, "Speaking of bean paste bread..."

In the end, Qu Qingcheng let out a giggle.

At this moment, Zhu Yao could only face the unexpected figure in the office, suddenly stunned.

Qu Qingcheng...was she crying?

Like when Zhu Yao sneaked into the office alone at noon on Teacher's Day, he quietly leaned on the window and looked in.

No one, except Qu Qingcheng.

Qu Qingcheng lay alone on the desk, with his back to the window where Zhu Yao was peeking.In fact, the back is very quiet, and Zhu Yao can't see the ups and downs of the so-called sobbing.

But she just felt that Qu Qingcheng was crying.No, she was very sure that Qu Qingcheng was crying.

That good-tempered Qu Qingcheng who always smiles gently is... crying.

Zhu Yao didn't know what kind of mood he had when he walked into the office without knocking, and he didn't know whether he should blurt out "stop crying" or "what's wrong with you".

Qu Qingcheng heard footsteps behind him, got up, and pulled a tissue to cover his eyes.

Zhu Yao heard his own voice and asked, "What birthday present do you want?"

What a mess.

And Qu Qingcheng said incomparably astonished: "Huh?"

******

When Zhu Yao hurriedly explained "I didn't want to bribe you", Qu Qingcheng smiled with red eyes.

"You saw it."

"I didn't see it."

"You kid...why did you come here suddenly?"

"Well, my mother, I don't know where I found out about your birthday, and I insist on treating you to dinner and giving you a gift... You mustn't go, it's that kind of grand banquet."

Qu Qingcheng smiled: "You came here to remind me?"

"But don't you want to give me a birthday present too?"

Zhu Yao was taken aback for a moment: "I'm different from her."

"I'm sure it's the kind that doesn't cost money...don't worry about it."

Qu Qingcheng smiled: "Yes."

But the reddish eye sockets and the same reddish small nose made this smile look extremely sad.

Zhu Yao glanced at the large bouquet of lilies on the desk in Qu Qingcheng's office.

It is very fresh, with dewdrops condensed on the stamens, exuding the unique smell of lily, which is neither fragrant nor stinky, and each petal is like a ballet skirt unfolded by a girl.

Is it from your boyfriend?Zhu Yao thought, it was unlikely to be someone else.

Did you cry because it was a gift from your boyfriend?

But Qu Qingcheng in front of him didn't seem half happy.

Questions that are too gossip, including the truth about liking that Zhu Yao doesn't want to face, can't be asked at all.

The hesitant expression made Qu Qingcheng ask: "What's wrong with you? It's weird."

"I just wanted to ask you what birthday present you want."

Qu Qingcheng smiled again: "Let me think about it."

His eyes unconsciously fell on the lilies on the table, and his eyes were fixed.

******

Zhu Yao had a headache when he came home from self-study next night.

For Zhu Yinglan, this home now is the Three Treasures Palace where everything goes.Zhu Yao thought that tonight Zhu Yinglan would be waiting to ask her about the result of her invitation to Qu Qingcheng's birthday dinner.

Inevitably another quarrel.Will I be beaten again?Zhu Yao didn't know either.

Even so, when Zhu Yao opened the door with the key and saw the darkness and emptiness inside, he still didn't know whether to feel relieved or disappointed.

The feeling of loss is even heavier.

Zhu Yao walked to the dining table and saw the note left by Zhu Yinglan: I have a temporary business trip, the restaurant and gifts are ready, I am looking for your Uncle Xu.

Uncle Xu is Zhu Yinglan's secretary.

Zhu Yao thought she would not call Uncle Xu.

As soon as he thought about it, the phone rang, and Xu Yigeng's voice came: "Zhu Yao, are you going home for self-study next night?"

Zhu Yinglan really knew her very well, knowing that she would definitely not take the initiative to contact Xu Yigeng.

That's how they are, supported by the unfamiliar sense of distance and drifting away, but also firmly involved by the deep understanding.

You can't get close, and you can't get rid of it.

Weird mother and daughter.

Zhu Yao said "hmm" to the phone.

"I stayed in Beicheng this time and didn't go out with Mr. Zhu. I will arrange your teacher's birthday party. The R western restaurant designated by Mr. Zhu has already been booked..."

"Uncle Xu, I still have to do my homework, so I'll hang up first."

At that time, it was said that Teacher Qu was busy, and by the time Zhu Yinglan returned to Beicheng, Qu Qingcheng's birthday would have been over long ago.

Zhu Yao finally breathed a sigh of relief.

******

Saturday, November [-]th.

On Qu Qingcheng's birthday, as usual, he had to go to class, the difference was that he didn't have evening self-study.

Zhu Yao was thinking about the lilies on Qu Qingcheng's desk, and guessing how Qu Qingcheng would spend his birthday.

In the third Chinese class, Qu Qingcheng walked into the classroom, wearing a high-necked white cashmere sweater and a khaki windbreaker, the same attire as usual.

Shang Xiaoran raised her hand: "Teacher Qu, I want to go to the bathroom!"

"Didn't you just start class?"

"Stomach is uncomfortable, that..."

Qu Qingcheng said warmly: "Go and come back quickly."

Shang Xiaoran left his seat with a smile, and when he passed the podium, he jumped up and covered Qu Qingcheng's eyes with his hands.

Qu Qingcheng was obviously taken aback: "What are you doing? Shang Xiaoran."

Shang Xiaoran didn't answer, but still smiled, and glanced at Zhu Yao, who was in the third-to-last row.

Zhu Yao felt a "thump" in his heart.

Before she could fully understand the meaning of Shang Xiaoran's rich smile, a burst of sweet aroma of cake came: "Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you..."

Tang Nuo and another girl who was also Shang Xiaoran's friend walked towards the podium with a big cake in their hands. Shang Xiaoran let go of Qu Qingcheng's eyes.

Qu Qingcheng stood on the podium and smiled lightly.

"How do you know that today is my birthday?" She looked at the cake.

From Zhu Yao's point of view, the pure white cream and the small light green mounted flowers are very suitable for Qu Qingcheng's temperament.

Shang Xiaoran smiled and said, "We have our own clever plan."

"Who paid for the cake?"

"Oh, Teacher Qu..."

"I'm very touched by your kindness." Qu Qingcheng insisted: "I bought this cake, please eat it for the whole class."

"The cake is not that much..."

"You ordered it?" Qu Qingcheng asked Shang Xiaoran, "How much?"

Shang Xiaoran didn't speak, but Qu Qingcheng urged her with a smile: "Hurry up, otherwise this cake won't be eaten."

Only then did Shang Xiaoran dully report a number, and Qu Qingcheng said, "I'll give you the money."

That Chinese class was spent in the aroma of cakes.

Qu Qingcheng specially allowed everyone to eat cake while in class, but Zhu Yao didn't eat it, and put the thin slice on the side of the desk. When turning the textbooks, the corners of the pages were stained with cream.

Chinese textbooks have also become cake-like.

Until Qu Qingcheng said "get out of class is over", Shang Xiaoran asked with a smile, "Teacher Qu, is your birthday happy?"

Qu Qingcheng smiled back and said, "Happy."

Zhu Yao looked at Qu Qingcheng's slender gold-rimmed glasses, a shallow crease appeared because of his deep smile, and thought:

Why do I think you are not happy at all?

******

When Zhu Yao was standing next to the trash can with the thin slice of cake, a soft voice came from behind him: "Why didn't you eat it?"

Zhu Yao turned his head, and Qu Qingcheng was standing there holding a cake base that was separated.

With a smile, a gust of autumn bleak wind raised her curly long hair, blowing her into transparency.

"Teacher Qu."

"Ok?"

"Is your birthday happy?" For some reason, Shang Xiaoran asked the question again.

Qu Qingcheng looked at her and smiled: "You little child..."

She walked to Zhu Yao's side, threw the empty cake base into the trash can, reached out to rub Zhu Yao's hair, and left.

******

After school in the evening, Zhu Yao sat in a taxi and waited at the school gate.

From a distance, he saw Qu Qingcheng's car driving out.

"This is the one, follow."

Zhu Yao didn't know why he was following Qu Qingcheng, with a wretched *wretched//twisty* look.

Maybe it's the bouquet of lilies on the desk.

Maybe it was because of an incoming call on the phone named "Mr. Zheng".

Maybe it's because of Qu Qingcheng's smiling but unhappy eyes hidden behind the gold-rimmed glasses.

Zhu Yao who got out of the car was taken aback——

Isn't this the R restaurant that Zhu Yinglan ordered for Qu Qingcheng?

******

Zhu Yao thought for a while, and followed Qu Qingcheng in.

I reported Xu Yigeng's name and mobile phone number, and sure enough, the reservation has not been cancelled.

Before, she had told Xu Yigeng that Teacher Qu couldn't come to dinner because of something, Xu Yigeng sighed without any surprise and said, "I want to report to Mr. Zhu".

Zhu Yinglan almost exploded Zhu Yao's cell phone, but Zhu Yao didn't answer any of them.

However, the reservation will not be cancelled, Zhu Yinglan always feels that things will turn around until the last moment.

Thinking about it this way, Zhu Yao felt that Zhu Yinglan didn't understand her anymore.

Walking into the restaurant, Zhu Yao felt that the school uniform jacket on his body was a bit eye-catching, so he took it off and held it in his hand, and walked to the table Xu Yigeng had reserved.

She was happy with the table—corner, by the window, out of sight.

At first glance, it is not a place to do good things.

It was convenient for her to look around, and soon found that Qu Qingcheng was sitting at a table in front left.

Qu Qingcheng's seat was facing away from Zhu Yao. Zhu Yao recognized Qu Qingcheng from the retro high-heeled shoes on his feet.

Then, the man sitting opposite is Mr. Zheng.

Zhu Yao secretly looked at his face, and found that it was easy to connect him with the bunch of lilies on Qu Qingcheng's table.

White and clean.The sideburns are slender.Blurred.

The hands that were slightly curled up on the table, the nails were trimmed into short ovals, and the fingers looked dry and warm. They should be engaged in occupations such as doctors or *wu* civil servants.

I really like Qu Qingcheng, I always have a smile on my face.

From Mr. Zheng's murmuring lips, Zhu Yao couldn't tell what he was talking to Qu Qingcheng at all.

Is it "I think you are very nice when we meet for the second time"?

Or "would you like to come to my house later"?

Or "Shouldn't you discuss our marriage with your parents?"

Zhu Yao found out that he knew nothing about Qu Qingcheng's life.

So what if I saw Mr. Zheng who gave away lilies?My own understanding of the progress of his relationship with Mr. Qu is a solid zero.

The gentle and smiling popular teacher Qu has turned into a flat plane, a thin paper man.

Even Zhu Yao's heart was crushed by something heavy.

"Who is Teacher Qu's favorite student?" turned into a childish and ridiculous false proposition in an instant.

In addition to the identity of "Teacher Qu", Qu Qingcheng is still alive and blooming as the person "Qu Qingcheng".

Mr. Zheng and his lilies turned Zhu Yao into a dog's tail grass fluttering in the corner, and into a dark shadow peeping alone in the corner.

Zhu Yao, how sad.

Maybe it's because the business of R Western Restaurant is too good. At this moment, a waiter finally noticed Zhu Yao who was silent and not greeting anyone in the corner: "Miss, are all the pre-ordered set menus served?"

Zhu Yao covered her eyes and felt the liquid between her fingers, with a temperature that was completely opposite to the cold dew on the lily stamens:

"No, I want a glass of lemonade."

Sour like the kind of mood peculiar to puberty.

******

If the later incident hadn't happened, Zhu Yao thought that he would go around to the other side of the restaurant and sneak away after sitting for about 10 minutes.

When the woman in leather came in, Zhu Yao hadn't realized that this cool and sassy woman had anything to do with Qu Qingcheng.

The woman walked up to Qu Qingcheng and their table, brushed her curly long hair to one shoulder and let it hang down: "Mr. Zheng?"

Laughed: "I didn't want to use your honorific title, but I don't know your full name."

If it weren't for such a strange expression, and the astonished look on Mr. Zheng's face, Zhu Yao would have thought that this aggressive woman in a pair of high boots was an ex-girlfriend who came to trouble Mr. Zheng.

Qu Qingcheng stood up: "Shenghan..."

The woman sneered: "Why don't you call me Miss Yang? It's the same as Mr. Zheng in front of you."

Zhu Yao found that her cheeks were burning suddenly, and she felt embarrassed for Qu Qingcheng, when Qu Qingcheng became the focus of countless eyes in the restaurant pretending to be inadvertent.

Zhu Yao bit the lemon juice straw into a flat strip between his teeth, remembering the four words Shang Xiaoran hugged her tightly and whispered in her ear, he already vaguely understood something.

But the shock brought about by this incident did not overwhelm her burning embarrassment for Qu Qingcheng.

So Zhu Yao realized that maybe in his subconscious mind, he had long thought that Qu Qingcheng was this kind of person.

Will hold hands softly with girls.A head of soft, hanging hair overlapped with the other's long hair.Compared with a bouquet from a man, maybe she is more suitable to plant a pot of baby's breath or sunflowers with some girl.

Zhu Yao took a look at the back of the woman called "Shenghan", and then took another look.

She found that she was much more interested in that woman than in Mr. Zheng.

Yang Shenghan obviously came to find fault tonight, and asked Mr. Zheng in an old Beicheng accent: "Did you know that Qu Qingcheng likes men and women, so you came to go on a blind date with her?"

"Appointment once is not enough to make an appointment for a second time? Make an appointment on your birthday?"

Um?Not a boyfriend, but a blind date?

Qu Qingcheng said, "I promised myself."

Yang Shenghan sneered: "Why did you agree? To provoke me and make me jealous?"

"No, I'm not that boring."

"Then why? Don't you know that I'm chasing you? Why did you come here to have a blind date with a stinky man?"

Qu Qingcheng stopped: "Don't say such disrespectful things..."

Yang Shenghan laughed even colder with a "ha": "Put away your hypocritical intellectual family! What are you pretending to do with me? How dare you say you don't like women?"

Qu Qingcheng stopped talking.

After a long time, she raised her head and said to Mr. Zheng who was sitting opposite, "I'm sorry."

Zhu Yao was shocked at that moment, she never thought that Qu Qingcheng would have the courage to admit it in front of everyone.

Mr. Zheng obviously digested it for a while: "Of course I know it's normal for this kind of situation to exist, but for a girl like you, it will be very difficult to choose this path..."

Yang Shenghan patted the table: "You know what a fart!"

"Qu Qingcheng, I fell in love with you at first sight at a friend's party. You know I'm not lying. You are obviously the same kind of person. If you don't accept it, I'm cowardly!"

Zhu Yao looked at Yang Shenghan's back in the leather coat - she had a strange feeling for Yang Shenghan, she hated that Yang Shenghan's aggressiveness made Qu Qingcheng embarrassed, but she couldn't hate Yang Shenghan's desperate attitude.

Knowing that Qu Qingcheng agreed to the blind date, he decided to come here, so he probably likes Qu Qingcheng very much.

It was something that Zhu Yao thought he didn't have, was missing, and envied for many years.

Qu Qingcheng has regained his composure: "Sorry, I can't accept you."

"Because you are cowardly?" Yang Shenghan asked, "Or because...you don't like me enough?"

Qu Qingcheng said, "I'm sorry."

Yang Shenghan sneered: "I see, you are using me just like you are using Mr. Zheng."

"Don't treat everyone as pawns, Qu Qingcheng, you will suffer retribution for doing this." Yang Shenghan said angrily, "You'd better think clearly about what kind of person you want to be."

He stepped on his high boots and walked away.

After Qu Qingcheng and Mr. Zheng sat down, the bustling noise resumed in the restaurant, and Zhu Yao couldn't figure out what Mr. Zheng was talking about from his mumbling mouth again.

It's just that the expression is gradually disappointed.

About 10 minutes later, Qu Qingcheng stood up, followed by Mr. Zheng.

When Zhu Yao walked out of the restaurant a few steps away, Qu Qingcheng was saying goodbye to Mr. Zheng at the door. The doorman brought Mr. Zheng's car over, and Mr. Zheng drove away.

At that time, Zhu Yao had a certain feeling in her heart - she would never see that kind of lily with dewdrops on Qu Qingcheng's desk again.

What did Qu Qingcheng tell the doorman, put on his trench coat, and walk slowly along the side of the road?

Um?Not driving?

Taking advantage of the cover of the night, Zhu Yao followed after a few steps.

Wearing a school uniform is too eye-catching, so Zhu Yao held the school uniform in his hands and never put it on. The night in Beicheng is already very cold, the weather is less than ten degrees, and the cold air penetrates the small hole in Zhu Yao's gray sweater into the body.

Her hands soon became cold, and then her feet became cold, and the hands holding the school uniform became a little stiff.

Perhaps it was this cold feeling that aggravated the sensitivity of the body and deepened the memory of the mind. Zhu Yao still remembers that night, the night of Qu Qingcheng's 24th birthday.

How she curled her fingers and held an ugly school uniform and walked behind Qu Qingcheng, passing the candied chestnut stalls, rice cracker candy stalls and roasted sweet potato stalls that appeared for the first time in autumn, the air was full of lively scents, As for Qu Qingcheng, who was walking in front of her, his long hair was blown up by the night wind.

The back looks so thin.Thin and lonely.

Zhu Yao felt that at the age of 17, she did not have any qualifications or ability to feel sorry for Qu Qingcheng, whom she had always yearned for and looked up to.

But at that moment, the blunt sour feeling in my heart, the delicate tearing feeling, if the word "distressed" is not used, what kind of vocabulary and words should be used to define it?

As a language teacher, would Qu Qingcheng know better than Zhu Yao?

******

Zhu Yao followed Qu Qingcheng and saw Qu Qingcheng turn around and enter a small shop by the side of the road.

Zhu Yao slowed down a few steps to follow, and borrowed a dim street lamp to glance at the wooden signboard.

Up to now, Zhu Yao can't remember the exact name of that shop, but the shock of seeing this is a tattoo shop is still fresh in her memory.

tattoo.Qu Qingcheng.

No matter what Zhu Yao thinks, it seems that when faced with a question on the Chinese test paper that connects the left and right words, no matter how you look at it or choose, you will not draw a picture between the words "tattoo" and "Qu Qingcheng". Out of a stuttering line.

What did Qu Qingcheng do at the tattoo parlor?

Zhu Yao looked around from left to right, there were three or two young people straddling the locomotive, with haircuts that were more exaggerated than those of school delinquents, pink and green dazzling, smirking and whistling at Zhu Yao.

Zhu Yao's heart trembled, her fearful instinct reminded her to stay away from this place.

Thinking of Qu Qingcheng's back, passing through candied chestnut stalls, rice cracker candy stalls, and roasted sweet potato stalls, on his birthday, there was no trace of sweetness.

Zhu Yao stretched out his hand to push the door and walked in.

The author says:

感谢在2021-09-2616:18:18~2021-09-2715:44:50期间为我投出霸王票或灌溉营养液的小天使哦~

Thanks to the little angel who threw the landmine: 1 welcome;

Thank you very much for your support, I will continue to work hard!