Absinthe

From the moment Zhong Xiu walked out of the house to the time he took the taxi back, he maintained an almost calm expression on his face, as if nothing had happened just now.

He had long expected the scene when Yang Yingqiong found out about his relationship with Hao Ai, but this quarrel came a little earlier than he expected.This wasn't even a quarrel, but a debate or negotiation. Yang Yingqiong asked Zhong Xiu to give her a satisfactory answer, but this was destined to be fruitless, because Zhong Xiu never intended to compromise.

Although Zhong Xiu knew Yang Yingqiong's attitude well enough and things were moving in the direction he wanted, he still felt an inexplicable sense of depression in his heart.It was a very delicate emotion. He knew that Yang Yingqiong would definitely object, but when he heard Yang Yingqiong say that he was wrong, he still felt disappointed and sad.

It would be sad indeed, but he should have gotten used to it by now.

He came to the door of the small Ma shop that he had been to several times before, and the red signboard read: Secret Spicy Crayfish.

In the past few years, the urban area has been rectified and the city appearance has been rectified. All the shops have been unified and standardized. The signboards hanging at the door are all the same color and font. I am used to it and think it is nothing. Now I realize that these signboards are really ugly.It may also be because of his bad mood, which caused Zhong Xiu to dislike everything now.

He looked at the long queue outside the store, and wanted to walk away, but stood still for a few seconds and hesitated, and finally said in a breathy voice: "Forget it." Then he stood at the end of the queue and started queuing.

The team moved slowly to the window, and the small shop was filled with a strong spicy smell.

"I want a small portion of Ma Xiao, pack it up, thank you." Zhong Xiu said to the window.

A small portion of spicy crayfish is very small, usually not enough for Hao Aisai's teeth, and he will probably complain again when he gets home.

"Okay! Is one catty enough to eat?" the proprietress asked while packing for him.

"Well, I got angry recently, so I can't eat much." Zhong Xiu said.

He walked out of the store carrying the packed plastic box.Looking at the time, it was 56:[-] when we reached the gate of the community.

Hao Ai called: "Are you back?"

"I've reached the gate of the community, what's wrong?" Zhong Xiu asked.

"Oh, it's okay, I'm just asking." Hao Ai said.

Hao Ai's original intention of calling was to ask if Zhong Xiu had come back, and it would be eight o'clock soon, and he was worried that Zhong Xiu would stay at home today and would not come back.Now that Zhong Xiu had reached the gate of the community, there was nothing to say. It stands to reason that Hao Ai could hang up the phone, but he still didn't.

"I'll bring you Ma Xiao." Zhong Xiu didn't hang up the phone either.

Hao Ai was moved to tears: "Really? Woohoo, there is true love in the world."

"By the way, I forgot to ask, what were you doing when my mother came, didn't you wake up?" Zhong Xiu asked, "Did she say anything to you?"

"I got up!" Hao Ai said angrily.He then softened his tone again: "I didn't say anything, I just asked me how long I've lived here, I said how many days, and asked me if you brought me a skateboard, I said no, that's all, but I worry……"

"Don't worry, she didn't find out," Zhong Xiu coaxed him, "It doesn't matter even if she finds out, she won't do anything to you."

The confrontation between Zhong Xiu and Yang Yingqiong should be borne by himself, and he didn't want to involve Hao Ai.

"I know, of course I won't do anything," Hao Ai on the other side of the phone obviously paused, and then said, "I'm worried about you."

"Don't worry, nothing will happen to me." Zhong Xiu paused, and asked intentionally, "Are you thinking of me?"

"Yes," Hao Ai's voice became softer: "I like you."

"...I'm in the elevator, the signal is not good, so I'll hang up first." Zhong Xiu hung up the phone after finishing speaking, why did his face suddenly feel a little hot.

The elevator door opened, and Zhong Xiu found Hao Ai was standing at the door to welcome him.

Hao Ai rushed over to give Zhong Xiu a hug, and then took the box in his hand with bright eyes.

"Why so little?" Hao Ai began to protest as soon as he saw the weight in the transparent plastic box.

"You can't eat too much spicy food." Zhong Xiu watched him take two cans of Coke from the refrigerator, and said, "You should also drink less ice."

"Oh," Hao Ai nodded reluctantly, "Then buy more and eat yourself." He knew that Zhong Xiu also liked spicy food.

"I can't bear to watch you eating porridge pitifully by yourself? It's like I abused you." Zhong Xiu, who loves spicy food these days, has never tasted spicy food, and always drinks white porridge with Hao Ai, especially light food vegetable.

Zhong Xiu put on plastic gloves and began to peel the crayfish.

"Ah—" Seeing that he had peeled a whole crayfish, Hao Ai quickly opened his mouth to beg for feeding.

"...Don't you have long hands?" Zhong Xiu stuffed the peeled shrimp into his mouth with a look of disgust.

"I like to get something for nothing." Hao Ai took a mouthful of crayfish and iced Coke, quite happy.

After eating the crayfish, Zhong Xiu cleaned up the shrimp shells piled high on the table, and Hao Ai lay on the sofa to digest.

He was lying down, and suddenly remembered something that he almost ignored: "By the way, when are you going to participate in the competition?"

"The day after tomorrow." Zhong Xiu just threw the trash into the trash can, and sat next to Hao Ai after washing his hands.

"How many days are you going this time?"

"Two days."

"Then come back early after the game." Hao Ai blinked and said seriously, "Long-distance relationships are hard, and I feel uncomfortable if I don't see you for a day."

"You started again?"

"I want you to make me feel uncomfortable." Hao Ai turned over and decided to follow through on shamelessness.

Zhong Xiu put on Hao Ai's body and pinched his waist: "Do you think you are in a bad situation?"

Hao Ai got up and fled quickly to the bedroom and locked the door behind him. It was so fucking exciting to run away after flirting.

*

This chemistry competition is the last one before entering the third year of senior high school. It is a national-level competition with high gold content, and it is very important for top students who take the road of competition.

Zhong Xiu didn't have any other ideas at first, but Shen Yilang told them during the competition training that the first prize of this competition may be admitted to the National Academy of Sciences in advance, and the undergraduate, master and Ph.D students will be combined.The National Academy of Sciences is currently the most powerful university in chemistry in China.

"... I believe everyone knows how important this competition is. Next, I want to say something else," Shen Yilang said in the last few minutes of this class: "Chemistry is a basic subject after all. If you can touch the surface, the employment opportunities are too narrow, and if you want to continue to study in depth, you can only go to the postgraduate entrance examination and doctoral examination.”

"Oh, by the way, you can still be a teacher after a bachelor's degree. No. [-] Middle School requires a master's degree, but this is not a good way out for you, so don't learn from me." Shen Yilang smiled, and then said: "University teachers are good, interested If so, you can try it later.”

"If you want to engage in scientific research in the future, my suggestion is to go abroad. The domestic scientific research environment... Everyone knows that the conditions abroad are more suitable for scientific research."

"Of course, this also has something to do with family. Whether your family conditions can support you to focus on scientific research depends on the individual."

This is the first time that Shen Yilang said so many things that have nothing to do with chemistry problems in class.

After school, Shen Yilang left Zhong Xiu alone.

Shen Yilang asked him: "I have just said about the early admission of the National Academy of Sciences. I want to ask your thoughts. Do you want to continue studying chemistry in the future?"

"I haven't thought about it yet." Zhong Xiu said truthfully.

"I personally think those who engage in chemical competition are more talented. For example, Wei Jiyang, he will not continue to study chemistry in the future." Shen Yilang paused, and said: "Also, Ning Yue...he, there is a high probability that he will learn chemistry in the future." He doesn't know how to study chemistry." Zhong Xiu didn't know if it was an illusion, but when Shen Yilang talked about Ning Yue, his expression seemed to be less casual than before.

Zhong Xiu didn't know where his upper limit was, and he didn't know which path he could choose besides this path.

"To engage in scientific research, you must first have talent. There is no upper limit for scientific research, but for most people who are not talented enough, this road can see the end at a glance." Shen Yilang seemed to know what he was thinking: "You have Talented, so there is no need to consider the upper limit."

"But you still have to be calm. It's boring to stay in the laboratory all day. I think you are a person who can hold your breath." Shen Yilang said.

Zhong Xiu nodded noncommittally, depending on the situation whether he could hold his breath, he couldn't hold his breath in front of someone at all.

"I don't dislike chemistry. Most of the time, I think this subject is very interesting. I think I like it." In fact, Zhong Xiu is also a little confused. Talent is not enough to do scientific research, and he needs to have enough to support him to persist in scientific research. Passion for the path, but he has little passion for most things.

When he first decided to join the competition class, his grades in all science subjects were very good, with almost no shortcomings, but he felt that chemistry was the easiest for him, so he chose chemistry, whether he liked it or not was the second.There is also skateboarding, I like it, but I still have a certain rebellious psychology, which is not pure love.

"Then you have to think about it again. If you don't plan to do scientific research in the future, you don't have to consider the combined undergraduate, master, and doctoral studies of the National Academy of Sciences. This is a long and difficult road," Shen Yilang said: "But this I still have to participate in this competition, and it will also help to fight for the lower scores of other schools in the future."