old age

The train was passing through a tunnel, and the sun was shining through the window again.

"Auntie." Yi Chen said softly to the woman opposite, "Could you help me to close the curtains."

The woman took her eyes off the phone screen and gave him a dull look.Yi Chen repeated it again.She nodded, stretched out her hand and pulled the curtain violently, making a red-eared rubbing sound.

Yi Chen hurriedly turned his head to look at Ji Kaiyang, but fortunately, he didn't wake up.He breathed a sigh of relief and lowered his voice, "Thank you."

The sea they were going to was not the sea area where Ji Ziwen used to be. In fact, Ji Kaiyang didn't know which sea his father was in before. He was still too young, and that was too far away.He just simply wanted to go to the seaside to have a look, that was the place where his father stayed the longest all year round.When he was young, his father often said that he would take him to the beach when he had the opportunity, but before he went, his father disappeared.After that, Ji Kaiyang also had the opportunity to travel to the seaside, but he refused them all. For a while, he didn't even want to go near the river.

But now, after finally realizing that everything is irreparable, he wants to see why such a beautiful place in his father's description finally took away his relatives.

Yi Chen didn't stop him, but insisted on going together, and Ji Kaiyang also acquiesced.Since he doesn't want to face it alone, there is no better companion than Yi Chen.

They checked the route. City N is an inland city. The nearest seaside is about [-] kilometers away, and the train takes more than ten hours.

It was decided to leave temporarily, the sleeping berths had already been sold out, maybe we could buy them after a day's delay, but no one mentioned this.I got on the train with two hard seat tickets.

At first they chatted for a while, mainly Yi Chen was talking, and Ji Kaiyang would occasionally answer.It's all rambling nonsense, but a conversation like this can make it all feel like a trip that couldn't be easier.

Slowly Ji Kaiyang's voice became quieter, he didn't close his eyes last night, and fell asleep with his hands on the table.

The temperature of the air conditioner on the train was extremely low. Yi Chen remembered that Ji Kaiyang stuffed two coats into his backpack before going out. He found them out and put them on him.The curtains have been drawn, but there is still light coming in, shining on Ji Kaiyang's face.Fearing that this would make him sleep unsteadily, Yi Chen lightly covered the top of his head with his hand.

Ji Kaiyang slept soundly, his chest rose and fell slightly with his breathing, Yi Chen glanced at his brows and eyes, feeling familiar yet unfamiliar.They grew up together since they were young, watching each other slowly fade their youthfulness.They had shared the same crib as babies, and it was his face that was the first thing he saw every morning when he opened his eyes.Even with his eyes closed, Yi Chen can outline his appearance without any difference.But he has never looked at Ji Kaiyang so carefully, looking at every inch of his face.When graduating from the third year of junior high school, the school uniformly distributed a message book to every student. In Ji Kaiyang’s book, someone wrote a sentence as bright as a jade tree before the wind, without leaving a name, but the handwriting is beautiful, and it looks like it was left by a girl. .Yi Chen laughed at Ji Kaiyang for a long time at that sentence, but now he thinks it is really appropriate.Why is he so good-looking, Yi Chen thought.He was taken aback by the sudden thought, I must be sick.Yi Chen shook his head, feeling very ridiculous.

"woke up?"

Yi Chen's head went blank for two seconds before he realized that he was on the train. He rested his head on Ji Kaiyang's shoulder, and the clothes that were originally on Ji Kaiyang's body also came to him.

"When did I fall asleep? What time is it?" Yi Chen rubbed his head, "Aren't you sleeping?"

"It's past ten o'clock, and we'll be there in over an hour." Ji Kaiyang took the water on the table, unscrewed the bottle cap and handed it to him.

Yi Chen took it and took two sips before remembering that he was still relying on Ji Kaiyang.He sat up straight, "How long have I been asleep?"

"Four or five hours." Ji Kaiyang moved his numb shoulders. When he woke up, Yi Chen had already fallen asleep leaning against the back of the chair, with one hand still on his forehead.They were sitting in a seat for two, and Yi Chen was next to the aisle. As soon as the train started, he kept leaning outward.Ji Kaiyang was afraid that he would slip down, so he dragged him to lean against him, and he leaned against him for several hours.

Yi Chen also noticed Ji Kaiyang's strangeness, and rarely stretched out his hand to pinch his shoulder with some embarrassment.

"It's okay." Ji Kaiyang pointed to the biscuits on the table, "Eat something first, we'll find a place to eat after we get out of the car."

There were still many people at the train station at [-] o'clock in the middle of the night. As soon as they walked out of the station, many drivers surrounded them and asked where they were going.Ji Kaiyang booked the hotel in advance, confirmed that the driver knew the location, and boarded the car.That hotel is next to the bus station. They can take a direct bus to the seaside tomorrow morning.

Most of the shops that were still open near the hotel sold barbecue. It was too late and they had no appetite. They bought two cups of yogurt and two boxes of fruit at the convenience store and checked in.

"Do you want to call mom?" Yi Chen ate a grape and pointed to the landline by the bed.

The mobile phone I bought when I graduated from elementary school was broken after three years of uselessness. Zhang Yun originally planned to take the two of them to buy a new one when she came back.So when they came out this time, they didn't bring communication equipment with them, but just left a note on the table, saying that he and Yi Chen were going out for a few days and would be back soon.He wanted to ask Zhang Yun face to face about his father, so he didn't mention it in the note.

Ji Kaiyang hesitated for a moment, then shook his head, "If they know, you can say it is..., no, it was originally my idea, and I shouldn't have dragged you in."

"What are you talking about?" Yi Chen said unhappily, "I want to come with you, why did you drag me in?"

Ji Kaiyang smiled and said nothing more.

"Let's talk about it again." Yi Chen comforted him with a smile, "I'll just mention it casually, how can they go back so soon, don't worry."

Probably because of sleeping on the train for too long, although he slept soundly all night, Ji Kaiyang woke up very early, and Yi Chen even earlier.As soon as he stretched out his hand, he heard Yi Chen's voice from the bed next to him, "Morning."

"Yeah." Ji Kaiyang simply lifted the quilt, which would make him wake up faster, "Get up."

The breakfast shop downstairs has already opened, and the steamed dumplings here are served with a sweet sauce. Yi Chen frowned and ate two, and managed to drink half a bowl of porridge.Seeing that he couldn't eat anymore, Ji Kaiyang changed another restaurant and ordered noodles with fried sauce for him.

"Don't worry." Ji Kaiyang looked at the people coming and going outside the store, "It's still early, and I'm not in a hurry."

The road conditions were terrible, Yi Chen never got motion sickness, and was almost thrown out when he reached his destination.

"Would you like to sit down for a while?" Ji Kaiyang looked around, but there was no place to sit on the platform.

Yi Chen tore a mint candy, "No, just walk slowly."

There is a faint salty smell in the air, and the coastline in the distance can already be seen.They walked a short distance on the road, and there was a fork leading to the beach.It was early, this coast was not famous, and there were not many people. There were a few fishing boats far away.

Since arriving at the beach, Ji Kaiyang became silent again.He put his backpack on the sand, took off his shoes and socks, and walked straight ahead.The sea water covered the soles of his feet and then to his ankles.Yi Chen had an upset stomach, and he walked very slowly at first, and didn't pay much attention. When he saw that the sea water had reached Ji Kaiyang's knees, he hurriedly chased after him.

He was so flustered that he even forgot to call Ji Kaiyang. The sea water splashed high and slapped his legs. Yi Chen chased after Ji Kaiyang, grabbed his clothes and slammed back. The waves hit and both fell into the water.

Ji Kaiyang was taken aback by this sudden change, "What are you doing?"

"What am I doing?" Yi Chen stood up aggressively from the water, pointing at Ji Kaiyang, "What are you doing? Did I accompany you all the way here to seek death? Why are you so selfish, yourself? I don’t care about other people’s feelings when I feel uncomfortable. We came out together, what happened to you, am I a witness, a criminal suspect, or an accomplice? "

He was trembling with anger, speaking incoherently and illogically.

"It scared you." Ji Kaiyang waited for him to lose his temper, looked at Yi Chen's red eyes, raised his hand and patted his shoulder, "I don't want to die."

Yi Chen frantically waved his hand away, "I want to die! I'm going to be so mad at you!"

Yi Chen turned around and left, walked two steps, stopped and grabbed Ji Kaiyang's wrist, glared at him angrily, and dragged him to the shore.

He dragged Ji Kaiyang all the way to the beach, his palms were completely wet, there was water and sweat.

He was afraid, Yi Chen sat paralyzed on the beach, and could still hear his heart beating.

Ji Kaiyang also sat down beside him, they looked at the sea, waiting for the sun to dry their wet clothes.Yi Chen didn't let go of his hand, his posture was indescribably awkward, and Ji Kaiyang didn't remind him.When the sun was getting bigger and bigger, and his eyes were a little hard to open, Ji Kaiyang took the backpack on the side with one hand, and took out a small glass bottle from it.

"Yi Chen." He moved his wrist, "I'll decorate with sand."

Yi Chen let go of his hand hesitantly, and then hurriedly said, "You are not allowed to go far."

Ji Kaiyang sighed, didn't leave at all, just grabbed a handful of sand by his side.The sand slipped from the fingers and fell into the bottle, shimmering under the sunlight.

Ji Kaiyang put the bottle back into his bag, pulled Yi Chen up, "Let's go, we're going back."

"That's it?" Yi Chen said a little doubtfully.

"Otherwise?" Ji Kaiyang looked at the clothes of the two, there was no water dripping, but they were still wet.He suddenly pinched Yi Chen's blushed face, showing his first sincere smile in the past two days, "I don't want to fall into the water again."