Years are warm

The first time she met Xie Tingning was a rainy day.

The pouring rain seems to have washed the entire sky thoroughly, making it bright blue, and the cicadas in late summer are still chirping, making people a little upset.

The dead leaves fell into the puddles with the wind, causing very shallow ripples.

The old fan squeaked and squeaked, which couldn't take away the stuffy heat in the studio.When Gu Xinci opened the door with a paint tray, a beam of sunlight fell on her feet. She raised her hand and unbuttoned the top button of a shirt, put down the paint tray, took a handful of water and slapped it on her face.

The water pipes were scalding by the late summer sun, and even if it rained, the water coming out of the faucets would still be warm, with no cooling effect, but better than nothing.

She was still thinking about the half-drawn sketch in her mind, and before she had time to wipe off the water stains on her face, she heard someone calling her name from the other side of the corridor.

A friend from the same studio trotted over and talked a lot like a cannonball, to the effect that one of the freshmen in this class was assigned to them, and if she was free, remember to take it with her, and she had to lead someone else Go around the school.

Gu Xinci narrowed his eyes and glanced past her to look back.

The girl was wearing a pure white skirt and carrying a small satchel, standing at the stairs and looking this way.A very clean face, a very attractive look.

The friend still has something to do, and he was about to lead the others away after he finished speaking, but he stopped suddenly before taking two steps.Gu Xinci saw the girl whisper something, then suddenly turned back.

"Sister."

The girl bent her eyes, and the pupils were reflected in a lighter color under the sunlight, like a full amber mead. She took two steps closer, and took out a piece of embroidered plain camellia from her small bag. handed over her handkerchief.

"Wipe your face?" It was a questioning tone, but maybe because someone was waiting, she put the handkerchief on the edge of the table and turned away.

Pretty cute little girl.Gu Xinci would be stunned if he thought about it at the time, but later realized that he picked up the handkerchief and wiped his face.

Even after many years, Gu Xinci still remembered those clear and smiling eyes.

A few days after knowing the name of this new primary school girl, Xie Tingning, the instructor personally led her over, and by the way, approved the drawings submitted by other people in the studio.

Of course, Gu Xinci is not included.

Who in the Academy of Fine Arts doesn't know that Gu Xinci is the favorite of every teacher?

It's just that after that, Xie Tingning was added.

Although Xie Tingning is two years younger than them, the little girl is good-looking and has a good temper. After a long time, she has become acquainted.

Sometimes I will bring breakfast to the group of people who stay up late to revise the manuscript in the studio.

Friends from the same studio laughed and complained to the two of them more than once that the old man was eccentric, except for Gu Xinci and Xie Tingning who came here all day and scolded him.But looking at the unfinished drawings on the drawing board and the breakfast on the table in the next second, he could only sigh and continue.

Usually at such times, Xie Tingning would quietly make a face at Gu Xinci, and then go to the other side of the studio with her to discuss with the drawing.

The brushstrokes and tones they are good at are completely different, but they are unexpectedly in harmony.

If Gu Xinci had one word to describe Xie Tingning's paintings, it would probably be the so-called vitality.You can always get a glimpse of the warmth she wants to express from the touch of three or two strokes.

The school is adjacent to several parks. In early spring, there are always many flowers on the wall outside the park vying to poke their heads out to the side of the street. They look very beautiful.Sometimes Gu Xinci would go to sketch from life, and then one time when he went back, he met Xie Tingning who came down from the dormitory. After talking about it, the little girl wanted to go.

From Senior Sister to Sister Xinci, I called him all kinds of names.

Gu Xinci repeatedly said that he could get up early in the morning, but he couldn't resist her, so he made an appointment to take her there the next morning.

It was still cold in the capital in early spring, and when I was talking, I could still see the white gas wafting in the air.

"Senior sister, how did you find out about this place?" Xie Tingning added a note to the paper and asked with a tilted head.

"Walk around and you'll see." Gu Xinci glanced at her, put down the pen and stretched out his hand to pull up the scarf.

Xie Tingning shrank her neck, and the corners of her lips curled up a little.

Maybe it was from that time, or sometime earlier, that something started to pop up like the hard-growing spring flowers on the other side of the red brick wall, and it was out of control ever since.

But at that time, not everyone had that kind of courage.

At first, Gu Xinci thought that for someone as smart as Xie Tingning, as long as she took the initiative to distance herself, maybe the other party would understand what she meant.

In fact, Xie Tingning could really understand, but she didn't follow the meaning of Gu Xin's words.

The cold wave receded very late that year, the street lights were flickering, and the dim night could not bring each other's faces together.

"Do you really dislike me, or is it simply because you are afraid?" The snow fell in pieces, and Xie Tingning stood there with reddish eyes, but still stared stubbornly at Gu Xinci's eyes.

"Gu Xinci..." She choked up and said, "If you don't like...you can tell me directly, and I will disappear immediately."

Gu Xinci let out a deep breath with a trembling voice, she raised her hand to cover her eyes, and worked hard for a long time before she seemed to have found her own eyes.

Voice: "Do you know how we..."

She wanted to say that this was wrong, but when the words came to her lips, she couldn't say them again.

Isn't it right...but what's wrong?Are they both women?

There are always different types in this world, but they are different, but it does not necessarily mean they are wrong.In the final analysis, most right and wrong and right and wrong are determined by the majority of people in this world.

That can't be said to be wrong, it can only be said to be different.

"Aren't you afraid?" She remembered the last sentence she asked.

"I'm afraid, but I'm even more afraid that I will regret it one day in the future."

I regret not expressing my most obscure thoughts.

Xie Tingning has always been much braver than her.

Then Gu Xinci put down his hand, and the snowflakes fell lightly on his eyelashes, giving off a icy touch.She stretched out her hand and stroked the same cold cheek with her fingertips.

"let's be together."

It was obviously a sentence as light as falling snow, but when it fell, it was like a heavy hammer hitting the heart.

Let's be together, be together.

Probably there will always be a moment when a person is young, even if he knows that what he faces after the choice may not be satisfactory, he can still take that step with courage.It's as if you can do anything for such a person, it doesn't matter the outcome, and it doesn't matter what the reward is.

Just because of that thought.

The days seemed to go on without any surprise.No one in the studio noticed the difference between the two of them. Xie Tingning would still bring things to everyone when she was free, but she would bring something else to Gu Xinci to go to the school gate. She was a grandiose preference, without any concealment. But it seems natural.

Occasionally someone would joke that you two are as good as one person, Xie Tingning would always reply with a smile, and then quietly hold Gu Xinci's hand on her thigh under the easel.

Gu Xinci was always silent at this time, but Xie Tingning was so close to her that when she looked up, she could see her fingers holding the paintbrush slowly tightened, and a very light blush appeared on the tips of her ears.

Later, the instructor gave them the place to go to study, and the two went to France together.In a land where no one knows who they are, it seems even the wind is free.

The fence outside the Academy of Fine Arts is always entwined with unknown little flowers. One day Xie Tingning squatted there holding the camera to focus. When she got up, she was too anxious to stand still and almost fell.

When Gu Xinci reached out to catch her, his chin just brushed against the top of her hair.Very soft hair, a little itchy when rubbed.

Raise your head and your eyes will meet.

Then Gu Xinci smiled and called her name, saying Xie Tingning, let's kiss.

Everything ended with that phone call.

There was no reason, no questioning, and he just told Xie Tingning to come back.

She hung up the phone, and when she turned around, she saw Gu Xinci frowning, with unconcealable worry in her eyes.

"It's okay, it's definitely okay." At that time, Xie Tingning leaned over and comforted her.

This is the end of the matter, and it is useless to escape.

Before getting on the plane, Xie Tingning even hugged Gu Xinci's arm and coquettishly said that the next time the two of them would go back together, she said that the dishes made by her mother were very delicious and she would definitely like them.

Gu Xinci also laughed and said that might not be so, but before he finished speaking, he saw the person in front of him frowning with puffed cheeks.

"Of course." She promised, "Who doesn't like Gu Xinci?"

Gu Xinci who said this could only shake his head helplessly, but he also knew that if he refuted, this person would probably find 1 reasons to argue against him, so he didn't argue with her.

Finally, when Xie Tingning left, she took three steps and turned her head. The morning sun shone through the huge floor-to-ceiling glass windows of the airport and covered her body.

Gu Xinci put one hand in his coat pocket, with a light smile in his eyes, he waved goodbye to her.

The young lovers seem to embrace the rising sun every day with enthusiasm, as if the sun is still warm and the wind is still gentle.

No one would have thought of what happened later, and no one would have expected that the reluctant look back at them might be the last time they saw each other standing under the sun.

Human affairs are always impermanent.

Gu Xinci returned to China and found Xie Yuanhong ten days after Xie Tingning left.

The man sat on the steps surrounded by discarded cigarette butts.

"Do you know where your father sent his daughter?" She reached out and grabbed his shirt collar, trying to calmly say, "Xie Yuanhong, do you know this is against the law?! She is your sister!"

Like a prison, endless humiliation and abuse, physical and psychological damage.

"You just asked her to name you your daughter two months ago!"

Blocked by the thick walls, the sunlight can only fall into the room through the narrow gaps, and the sky is dark.

"Do you want to destroy her?"

The sound of electricity and the hum of the instrument running are disgusting amidst the crying.

Gu Xinci couldn't remember how many words he said that day, so he waited for Xie Yuanhong's sentence, let's go to the police station first.

But in the end it was a step too late.

She watched the thin shadow fall from the old platform, and at that moment, it seemed that time stood still. She desperately wanted to run forward, to catch her, to catch her, but no matter how she Work hard, she is just an ordinary person after all.

She heard the muffled sound of heavy objects falling to the ground, the murderer's screams on the platform, and someone's shout.

"Dead! Killed! Hurry up and call the police!"

"Call an ambulance!"

"Do not……"

Gu Xinci was shaking all over, her legs were so weak that she could hardly support her body.Using her hands and feet, she tried to move towards that side.

One step, two steps.

Blood flowers spread in the dirty soil.

"don't want……"

She fell to her knees a few steps away, with blood on her hands, so dirty, it was her lover's blood, but she couldn't wipe it off.

"Aning..."

Xie Tingning's fingertips moved. She seemed to be trying very hard to raise her hand and reach out to touch her, but she was in too much pain and she couldn't do it.

She couldn't even hear what Gu Xinci was saying, and gradually couldn't see Gu Xinci's face clearly.

But she knew that Gu Xinci must be crying.

Death is so close, she really hurts, not only the pain on her body, but also the deep pain in her heart.

Really, it's just a little short... Her Ah Ci, her sister Ci, her... Xie Tingning really wanted to say sorry to her again.

Sorry, I seem to be leaving you alone.But she couldn't say it anymore.

"Xie Tingning!" Gu Xinci didn't dare to touch her, and could only touch the woman's blood-stained face with trembling hands, she called out one after another, each sound more painful and desperate, "Please don't... "

Hold on for a while, wait a while, please, please, don't leave me alone...

But the reality is always crueler than imagined. There have never been fairy tales in this world.

Xie Tingning's lips were moving, she could feel the passing of life, so she seemed to be returning to the light, as if she had exhausted the last strength in this life, she gave Gu Xinci the last response.

"A Ci..." She tried hard to smile, but now her face was covered with blood, it was shocking no matter how you looked at it, "Yes, right... Live... Live... Go..."

"Okay...well...of..."

I'm sorry, please live on.

Her eyes dimmed, her eyelids closed little by little, and she was silent forever.

Xie Tingning has lived for more than 20 years in this life, and the last sentence she left has nothing to do with her parents or relatives. She gave Gu Xinci.

Gu Xinci unconsciously imagined various possibilities more than once.If she hadn't let Xie Tingning come back then, if she had noticed something was wrong earlier, if she hadn't gone to Xie Yuanhong first...

It's a pity that there are no ifs and assumptions in this world.

All the ifs are just adding troubles in vain.

When making the transcript, the other party said that because Xie Tingning wanted to help others leave, the accident happened during the pushing and shoving, but no one will know what happened.

The calendar stands still on that day forever.

Later, Gu Xinci traveled to many places and met many people. She was supposed to be a walker, but she chose to become an isolated island.Just because no one will be the Xie Tingning back then.

The winter in Donglin is actually colder than that in the capital. The wind from the cemetery blows quietly, the sky is dark and there is no sound.

A bouquet of flowers was gently placed in front of the tombstone, and the wind took away the last sigh in the silence.

"Ning, good night."

(End of the book)