withered lover

Two days later, on Christmas Eve, the stitches were removed from Shen Guiwan's wound.

He was bored at home for ten days, and the place of activity was limited to Du Zhinian's apartment, so taking advantage of Christmas, Du Zhinian dragged him up from the fireplace and led him outside to breathe and relax.

That night Du Zhinian asked Shen Guiwan where he wanted to go, Shen Guiwan thought about it for a long time, and just said "Let him go".

In fact, even if Shen Guiwan gave a definite answer, there are only a few places he can go, and this kind of inquiry is meaningless at all.

This time it happened to be Christmas, Du Zhinian was too lazy to think of tricks, so he took him out for dinner and shopping.

The two of them didn't go too far, they just strolled around the mall in the city center.

Although none of them had any special feelings for Christmas, the festive atmosphere around them was too strong. Walking on the street filled with a strong Christmas atmosphere, it was inevitable that they would feel a little like joining in the fun.

Du Zhinian took Shen Guiwan for a stroll, there were many couples who went out on Christmas dates, and met many same-sex couples along the way, Du Zhinian took Shen Guiwan's hand openly after walking for a while.

He led Shen Guiwan to walk in the shopping mall, a huge fir tree stood in the courtyard, with stars on the pointed crown, powder snow on the dense branches, and a variety of small pendants and colorful lights hanging on the tree.

"It's Christmas." Du Zhinian glanced at the twinkling lights on the Christmas tree, "New Year's Day will be soon, and the Spring Festival will be more than half a month after New Year's Day, and the new year will begin again."

He listed the few festivals this year, squeezed Shen Guiwan's palm, and asked, "Shen Guiwan, do you want to stay at my house for the New Year?"

Shen Lu was still lying in the hospital, and Shen Guiwan had torn skins with him, and it was impossible to go back even if it happened to be such an important day as the Spring Festival in a short time.

Moreover, Du Zhinian was used to the feeling of sleeping with Shen Guiwan nestled in his arms at night, so he didn't really want to let him go back, but if Shen Guiwan insisted on leaving, he would not forcefully keep him.

Shen Guiwan lowered his head and remained silent for a while, then raised his head and asked, "Is that okay?"

He raised his head and asked in a innocent and harmless manner, Du Zhinian's heart moved, and he said with a smile: "I said before, if you want to stay, you can stay, and I won't drive you away."

"Then I'll stay." Shen Guiwan shrank into the scarf and said vaguely.

Du Zhinian raised his finger and rubbed against the back of Shen Guiwan's hand, but suddenly sighed: "But I might have to go home, I can't accompany you to watch the new year."

Maybe he could escape on New Year's Eve, but if Shou Sui didn't go back on New Year's Eve, Du Hengyu would not only call and scold him, but maybe even have someone rush to his house and take him back.

The bad memories of college were still vivid in his mind, thinking of Du Hengyu's disgusting remarks, Du Zhinian only felt uncomfortable.

"Yeah." Shen Guiwan responded in a low voice, "It's okay."

Du Zhinian thought of Shen Guiwan's cat reading in front of the fireplace all day, and pinched his earlobe in amused and helpless way.

The two walked around the mall, and happened to pass by the men's clothing store where they bought clothes for Shen Guiwan last time, Du Zhinian dragged Shen Guiwan into it.

The clerk who received them was a fat young man. Seeing how close Du Zhinian and Shen Guiwan looked, he encouraged Du Zhinian to buy Shen Guiwan a hooded fleece sweater with reindeer antlers.

Shen Guiwan was already a few years younger than him, but she had lost a lot of weight during this period, her skin that had never been exposed to the sun was almost transparent, and the dark brown wide coat on her body made her look even younger. graduate students.

Du Zhinian stared at Shen Guiwan for a while, feeling that a bad switch in his heart had been turned on.

He struggled with difficulty for half a second, then swiped his card to pay, and then led Shen Guiwan, who was dragging two antlers behind his back, to the side stove.

Christmas couples gathered together for a date, and there were long queues everywhere. Du Zhinian made a reservation in advance, and when he got outside, he looked at the crowd lined up at the door and couldn't help but secretly rejoice.

The decoration of this Hong Kong-style tea restaurant is retro, but in order to cater to the festival planning of the shopping mall, a certain Christmas song is played in a loop on the radio, and the waiters who come and go between the seats wear red Christmas hats on their heads.

The shop is full of couples who are out on a date and couples with their children out to play. Occasionally, three or five young people can be seen eating together at a table. Shen Guiwan and Du Zhinian are sitting together, watching It doesn't look awkward.

"How about eating flower maw chicken? I'll make it up for you." Du Zhinian flipped through the menu and checked his favorite food.

He still remembered the way Shen Gui sneezed when he was choked by the mandarin duck pot at night. The person who loves spicy food reluctantly backed down this time, and never let his lover who was recovering from a serious illness face a pot of red oil boiling with choking peppers hot pot.

After Du Zhinian finished scribbling on the menu, he handed the pen and paper to Shen Guiwan who was sitting across from him, "Check what you want to eat."

Shen Guiwan took it over, held up the menu to look at it for a while, put a tick in front of Xiaobaicai, and returned it to Du Zhinian.

Du Zhinian looked at the hooked cabbage, then at Shen Guiwan, hesitant to speak.

When the waiter passed by them for the third time, he finally accepted the fact, raised his hand to stop them, and handed over the drawn menu.

"Is this enough? Don't you eat more?" Du Zhinian asked Shen Guiwan in distress.

Shen Guiwan nodded, but intentionally or unintentionally, he missed Du Zhinian's gaze.

Twenty minutes later, the hot pot was served on the table. The sweet and thick soup was bubbling and steaming, and the fish maw and tender chicken were rolling in the pot.

Du Zhinian served Shen Guiwan a bowl, took a piece of chicken himself and tasted it, felt that the taste was a bit subtle, so he went to mix another dish of dipping sauce.

The peppers in the white porcelain dipping plate formed a small sharp corner, and the bright red pepper chips and white seeds were soaked in the soy sauce together, which made the tip of the tongue tingle.

Shen Guiwan glanced at it, and the hot air from the pot just hit his face, causing his nose to itch.

He quickly lowered his head, covered his mouth and sneezed.

Shen Guiwan made a lot of noise, Du Zhinian was taken aback.

He asked in horror: "Shen Guiwan, do you get choked even by looking at a pepper?"

"No." Shen Guiwan covered his nose and shook his head, "I've been suffocated by the heat."

Du Zhinian was dubious, took a few mouthfuls full of guilt, and found that Shen Guiwan hadn't sneezed anymore, so he started cooking the hot pot with peace of mind.

Du Zhinian enjoyed the meal, but Shen Guiwan only moved his chopsticks a few times.

He ate very little, except for the meat Du Zhinian gave him, he really only ate cabbage.

"No appetite?" Du Zhinian frowned, and touched Shen Guiwan's forehead, "Is there something uncomfortable?"

Shen Guiwan shook his head, "It's okay, I'm just a little tired."

Since the injury, Shen Guiwan's appetite has become very poor, even if there is nothing in the porridge, he often only eats one or two mouthfuls and then stops moving.

At first Du Zhinian thought it was the pain from the wound, but now that the stitches have been removed, Shen Guiwan's state still looks strange.

"Or is the dinner not to your liking?" Du Zhinian continued to ask.

"No." Shen Guiwan denied again, "I'm full."

This answer did not convince Du Zhinian, but he did not mention the matter of going to the hospital for an examination with Shen Guiwan, "Let's go when you are full."

Du Zhinian and Shen Guiwan left the shopping mall and walked along the street full of star lights.

Even with the blazing lanterns on, it was still cold on Christmas Eve in the middle of winter, Shen Guiwan's hands were cold after only a few steps.

Du Zhinian held his right hand, stuffed it into his pocket to cover it, and walked slowly on the crowded street.

Last month, he ordered a few packs of new coffee beans. Yesterday morning, the owner of the coffee shop told him that the goods had arrived and asked him to come and pick them up when he was free.

The coffee shop was on a certain street between the shopping mall and the apartment, and it took a short detour. After passing through the second traffic light, Du Zhinian saw the beige signboard of the coffee shop.

But within two steps, he smelled a warm, rich fruity aroma that seemed to have been boiled.

Shen Guiwan also smelled it, the two of them looked along the source of the scent, and saw the open milk tea shop opposite.

The milk tea shop hangs Christmas holiday posters, and the hot air exuding fruity fragrance floats from the gap between the glass doors, and the busy figure behind the open bar can be vaguely seen through the glass window.

Christmas is already in the middle of winter, and the two of them are walking hand in hand on the street at night, the chill will always seep in through the cuffs. Although Du Zhinian's hand is hot, the small part of Shen Guiwan's exposed wrist is already freezing. flushed.

The milk tea shop is not far from the coffee shop, and there are two heaters in the booth, which look very warm.

Just when the green light turned on, Du Zhinian walked towards the milk tea shop holding Shen Guiwan's hand.

The milk tea shop was indeed as warm as Du Zhinian had imagined. As soon as he stepped into the shop, he felt Shen Guiwan shiver beside him.

He stood in front of the bar and glanced at the menu, then asked Shen Guiwan in a low voice: "What do you want to drink?"

The people beside him didn't answer, Du Zhinian turned around strangely, and found that Shen Guiwan was staring at the promotional picture of the new product next to the bar with fascination.

He followed Shen Guiwan's line of sight, and the promotional picture showed a glass cup filled with hot black tea, with crystal clear fruit pulp suspended in the light reddish-brown liquid.

It was very similar to the tea bags at home, and after accidentally finding out Shen Guiwan's preferences, Du Zhinian laughed.

"A cup of apple hot orange tea, no sugar, and a glass of sweet pear whiskey."

The milk tea shop had a lot of take-out orders. Du Zhinian waited for 10 minutes, wrote down the name of the shop and read the signboard before getting the drink he ordered.

Shen Guiwan sat closest to the heater, and Du Zhinian walked over with two glasses of drinks.

"Here." He stuffed the slightly hot paper cup into Shen Guiwan's hand, "Be careful of the burn."

Shen Guiwan covered it for a while, and waited for the blood to return to his red hands from the cold, and then took a small sip.

With the slightly hot fruit tea in his mouth, he tasted the sweetness of apple and orange, and looked up at Du Zhinian.

Du Zhinian pinched the straw to stir the ice cubes in the plastic cup, and gave Shen Guiwan a strange look, "What's wrong?"

Shen Guiwan sniffed the sweet orange fragrance overflowing from the mouth of the cup, and said in a flat tone: "The stitches were removed last time, you ordered wine for me."

That glass of wine also had a citrus aroma, but it was spicier and colder, with a bit of bitterness and pain in the mouth.

Du Zhinian was stunned.

At that time, the stitches had just been removed from the wound on Shen Guiwan's head, and the blood scab on his back hadn't fallen off, so he shouldn't have been drinking, but at that time he only wanted to sleep and didn't care about it at all.

Now that Shen Guiwan brought up this matter again, he felt a little guilty for no reason.

Du Zhinian's lips trembled, and he apologized in a low voice: "Sorry, it won't happen in the future."

Shen Guiwan let out an "um", his attitude was as indifferent as the biting cold wind outside.

Du Zhinian took a deep breath, cleared his throat in embarrassment, "I'm going to get something from the coffee shop opposite, it's cold outside, wait for me here."

He felt that this whiskey cocktail was a bit over the top, and he needed to go out and enjoy the cold wind to sober up.