Jinling love story

"

"I'm just saying I'd consider it. After all, I've always wanted to study abroad, too."

"Okay, okay, okay. It's the best you can think of. Mom didn't come in vain."

Yi Jihong couldn't hide her excitement any longer, stood up happily, and held Xia Ranjiang's cheeks.

Xia Ranjiang shrugged his eyebrows and forced a smile.

"Look at me, I was so busy talking to you that I forgot to introduce someone to you." Yi Jihong answered the phone with a mysterious expression.

Xia Ranjiang looked at Yi Jihong suspiciously.At this time, the door of the restaurant opened and a middle-aged man walked in.Xia Ranjiang was a little surprised, it was Le Qingxiang!

"Lawyer Yi, long time no see."

"Professor Le, sit here."

Yi Jihong got up slightly, motioning for Le Qingxiang to sit down.The three of them just formed an equidistant triangle around the round table.

"Professor Le, let me introduce you. This is my son, who is currently studying at Jiangdong University."

Xia Ranjiang was a little uncomfortable being stared at by Le Qingxiang, so he could only respond with an awkward smile from the corner of his eye.

Although Le Qingxiang next to him was wearing a beret, he could see that he had less hair than he had in the last match.I don't know if it was cold, but Le Qingxiang's face looked a little pale.The black woolen overcoat wraps around her chubby body, making her look well-proportioned.Le Qingxiang took off his coat and hung it on the back of the chair, with the index fingers of both hands naturally overlapping on his chest.

"Oh, Xia Ranjiang, right? Have we met somewhere?" Le Qingxiang turned his head to Xia Ranjiang and said.

"Debate competition." Xia Ranjiang lowered his voice.

"Yes, yes, look, your memory is poor when you are older. I also watched your last game, and I was very impressed. The young man is really good, with a wide range of knowledge and quick thinking. This is what every mother must have His son."

Hearing this burst of praise, Xia Ranjiang didn't feel very happy. Instead, the admiration for Le Qingxiang accumulated in the books on weekdays disappeared instantly, like an idol made of river sand. At first glance, it collapsed into a pile with a light poke, and drifted away with the wind.

"Thanks to Professor Le this time. He took the initiative to go to your school to find the leaders of your school. He has some public resources in his hand. Many famous universities in China have been scrambling to find Professor Le recently. But after Professor Le heard about you, especially After seeing your last competition with my own eyes, I decided to cooperate with CUHK and recommend you to go there.”

"Thank you." Xia Ranjiang nodded to Le Qingxiang. "Just one spot?"

"That's right. This quota is also for the sake of Professor Le."

"It's not my face, it's your face, Lawyer Yi."

After Le Qingxiang finished speaking, he patted the back of Yi Jihong's hand lightly.The movement took less than a second, but Xia Ranjiang saw it, and immediately understood a lot, and felt nauseous.

"Professor Le is really good at joking. Xia Ranjiang will entrust you from now on. You are well-known in the industry. If you guide Xia Ranjiang casually, this child will have a bright future. If Xia Ranjiang can follow you, that is my family." I can’t thank you enough for your blessings. Then I’ll toast you with tea instead of wine!”

"That's because children have talent, they are malleable talents." Le Qingxiang agreed, holding up the glass, his face beaming with joy.

"Let's see how we talk in the afternoon first."

Xia Ranjiang's indifferent voice was like a cold wave outside the window, and the hands of the two people holding the wine glasses stopped suddenly.

"Sorry, Professor Le, originally we had a client this afternoon, but it's still early."

After Yi Jihong finished speaking, she looked at Le Qingxiang with embarrassment, and then at Xia Ranjiang who had her head down.

"Business is important, business is important. As for me, I just came to meet today, and my goal has been achieved. I also have an academic discussion in the afternoon, and I have to rush back. It's rare for you mother and son to get together, so I won't delay you talking about yourselves. .”

Le Qingxiang kept smiling, but he was obviously a little stiff after hearing Xia Ranjiang's words.

After seeing off Le Qingxiang, Yi Jihong and Xia Ranjiang were silent for a long time.

"What do you think of Professor Le?"

The fork in Yi Jihong's hand poked on the cake for a long time, and finally managed to utter a word tentatively.

"I don't interfere with your private life."

Xia Ranjiang gritted his teeth, and suppressed the resentment and anger in his heart - Xia Ranjiang had already suffered a lot from the 10 minutes of the two of them drinking together just now.

For Xia Ranjiang, Yi Jihong couldn't absolve himself of the blame for the breakdown of his family and the death of his father. This was also the pain that had been buried in Xia Ranjiang's heart for more than ten years.Now, Yi Jihong not only has no guilt, but also flirts with another decent man in front of her face, which is tantamount to sprinkling salt on a wound.However, thinking of Tong Zhe's helpless and expectant eyes, Xia Ranjiang had to restrain the anger that erupted in his heart, and endured the humiliation that was similar to a demonstration alone.

"You are just a lawyer now, just someone I turn to for help. There is no other role." Xia Ranjiang looked at his watch. "It's getting late, let's go."

Make an appointment with Tong Zhe and Liu Zhen at a coffee shop next to the hospital.As soon as Tong Zhe saw Xia Ranjiang coming in, he quickly raised his hand to call Xia Ranjiang over.

"Why are you alone?" Tong Zhe asked anxiously.

"The lawyer will be here soon."

As soon as Xia Ranjiang sat down, his eyes just met Liu Zhen, and he nodded with a smile.

"Xia Ranjiang, thank you this time. Auntie wants to apologize to you for what happened last time, I hope you don't mind..."

"No, Auntie. I can understand. Today we mainly focus on solving uncle's affairs."

"What is your lawyer's background?"

"Mom, didn't I check the Internet for you? Lawyer Yi is a gold medal lawyer in this type of case. This time he came from Shanghai specially for Dad's case. As long as she takes it, there is no case that cannot be won."

"It's a bit exaggerated."

If you don't see anyone, you hear their voice first.Following the voice of the people, Tong Zhe saw Yi Jihong striding over with a smile on his face.

"Hello, I'm Yi Jihong." Yi Jihong stretched out his hand first.

"Lawyer Yi, hello, hello."

Liu Zhen passively agreed. In the past few days, he didn't think about eating and drinking, and couldn't sleep all night. His reaction seemed a little slow.

"Tong Zhe."

Xia Ranjiang flirted with Tong Zhe, but Tong Zhe quickly followed Xia Ranjiang out of the cafe without saying a word.

It was cold and windy in the street.Tong Zhe and Xia Ranjiang walked side by side.Xia Ranjiang rubbed his hands, let out a breath into his palms, and huddled his head in the scarf.

"Hey, let's go there and sit down. I guess they will talk for a long time." Xia Ranjiang pointed to the dessert shop not far away.

Tong Zhe hesitated for a moment, and the memory of that dessert shop suddenly came to mind.

In the cafe, Liu Zhen and Yi Jihong exchanged greetings for a while, and then gradually got to the point.Liu Zhen seemed to have found a life-saving straw, and there was no room for reservations, so he explained the ins and outs of the matter clearly.

"There is one more thing, I want to ask your opinion."

"Tell me." Yi Jihong quickly wrote down the key information in the notebook with the pen in his hand.

"A few years ago, when my wife was still at the construction site, there was an accident and two workers were crushed to death by the demolition crane. In fact, this was not entirely his responsibility. At that time, the crane was not under his control, and he did not approve it. The crane went into the construction site. It was already dealt with at the time, but now it is pulled out again, I am afraid that the crime will be added to the crime."

"If the trial of the case at that time had been completed, the aftermath would have been resolved in accordance with legal procedures, so it would not have any impact now." Yi Jihong stopped writing in his hand, as if thinking of something.

"That's fine, that's fine."

"You just said that those two workers were killed by a crane? When?"

"Six or seven years."

"Where is the dead worker from?"

"There were many from all over the country at that time. But I remember very clearly that the batch came from Yunnan..."

Liu Zhen's eyes were a little wandering, and he paused suddenly, as if he was alert, and his body moved back slightly.

"Does this have anything to do with the case?"

"I am a lawyer, and I need to learn as much as possible about the client's background information, which will help the case."

Yi Jihong's concerned tone immediately became serious, his eyelids drooped, and the panic that had leaked out of his eyes just now was covered up without leaving a trace.

The two then talked for a long time.Gradually, Liu Zhen's frown was slowly relaxed, as if he saw a glimmer of hope.

"Then I will leave it to you, Lawyer Yi. If there is any progress on my side, I will keep up with you at any time, thank you."

"You don't need to thank me. Xia Ranjiang said that your son is his very good friend. If a friend is in trouble, it is right to help him. Xia Ranjiang has a withdrawn personality since he was a child, and it is rare to have such a good friend."

"Well, they are better."

The corners of Liu Zhen's mouth trembled, he hesitated to speak, and there was still a smile in the crow's feet at the corners of his eyes.

"As for me, I haven't been with him all the time because of my work. Seeing that he is doing well now, it can be seen that I have been taken care of by you and Tong Zhe."

"Where is it. You are too kind."

Liu Zhen was a little surprised, wondering if Yi Jihong knew something, just picked up the bag, put it down again and opened it, pretending to be searching inside.

At this moment, Tong Zhe was staring at the cheesecake in front of him in a daze, while Xia Ranjiang rested his chin in his hand and stared at the busy traffic outside the window.The two sat facing each other like this, without saying a word for a long time, as if they were waiting for the other to speak first.

"Xia Ranjiang, why do I have an ominous premonition."

"What?" Xia Ranjiang froze for a moment, not paying attention for a moment. "It's okay. Business disputes are inevitable, not to mention professional lawyers to help."

"I'm not talking about this. I think you've changed a lot since you came back from Yunnan last time, and I can't tell where it changed. It seems that you are getting farther and farther away from me."

"You're delusional, don't be suspicious. Don't worry, your dad's case won't drag on for too long, and you shouldn't have so much psychological pressure every day. Your dad is just a misunderstanding this time, not that serious."

Xia Ranjiang's eyes were full of Tong Zhe's slightly haggard face.I want to reach out to touch it, but people come and go around, and the hand I just stretched out is put down again.

"It's not a misunderstanding, I know. I've always known what my dad was doing, but I'm just not sure. Now it's revealed, but it's too late."

Xia Ranjiang still reached out and patted the back of Tong Zhe's hand lightly as a comfort.

"No matter what happens, I'm here."

At this time, Tong Zhe's cell phone rang.

"Hello, Mom." Tong Zhe was a little flustered, and the phone almost fell from his hand.

"Okay, got it. You go back first. I'm fine."

Seeing Tong Zhe's sad face gradually dissipate, Xia Ranjiang felt much more at ease.

"good news?"

"Well, it's good news." Tong Zhe held Xia Ranjiang's hand tightly. "Your mother has returned to Shanghai first, and there are some materials to be prepared for this case. She said that it is not convenient for her to contact you, so let me transfer it."

"What?"

"I told you to rest assured that she took this case. But I want you to think about what she said before and call her back when you have time."

"Oh...I see."

Xia Ranjiang's heart sank, but seeing Tong Zhe laughing for the first time in so many days, the corners of his own mouth slowly rose.

"It's fine as long as you don't feel stressed."

"Then I'll go back to school first."

Xia Ranjiang stood up a little lonely, but his tone was still full of joy.

"I will send you back."

"No, you can go back to accompany your mother first, she is quite tired during this time." Xia Ranjiang quickly put on her coat. "I'll just walk a few steps and take the subway."

Xia Ranjiang's mind was empty, and he didn't know how he got into the subway station.Like a walking corpse, Xia Ranjiang followed the crowd down the escalator and stepped onto the train that had just entered the station, not even knowing that he was sitting in the wrong direction.As the speed of the car changed, there was constant warm air in the compartment blowing towards the face with all kinds of depressing smells.

"The train is at the station, Xuanwumen Station..."

"It's Xuanwu Lake."

Only then did Xia Ranjiang realize that he was sitting in the wrong direction.I simply got off the subway and went straight to Xuanwu Lake.

Sitting on the wall of Xuanwu Gate, Xia Ranjiang felt a lot calmer with the vast blue lake in front of him.On the other side of the lake, the reflection of the train station made of crystal was reflected on the lake, and Xia Ranjiang tried his best to suck the cold into his lungs, letting the cold air ravage every cell, as if only in this way could he feel the existence of internal organs.

Xia Ranjiang let out a long breath, and a white mist spread in front of his eyes and disappeared quickly.Take another deep breath and let it out slowly.Go round and round, go round and round.

Xia Ranjiang tried to divert his inner struggle in this way, but the more he did this, the more intense his inner struggle seemed.Everything seemed to be entangled in a mess, Xia Ranjiang tried his best to recall the beginning of everything along the traces, but every time he almost found it, he fell into chaos again.But behind the chaos, Xia Ranjiang firmly believed that there must be a force guiding the trend, but this force was beyond his control.

For a moment, Tong Zhe's usual smile appeared in front of Xia Ranjiang's eyes, but that smile gradually blurred, and there appeared Tong Sixian's intimidating and laughing at him, as well as the indifferent face of Xia Ranjiang's father's accident.In a trance, Xia Ranjiang felt that all of this was well-arranged, and that the once out-of-control situation was in the hands of Yi Jihong who suddenly appeared.In one thought, a family was torn apart, and the consequences were unimaginable; in one thought, everything returned to normal, but Xia Ranjiang wanted to fulfill his promise and travel across the ocean.Tong Zhe didn't know, and Yi Jihong didn't know, that "Mom" condensed Xia Ranjiang's grievances and self-esteem for more than ten years, as if repaying everything he had gained.But Xia Ranjiang knew very well that it was not as simple as "repaying" - to him, the existence of Tong Zhe was more important than anyone else.The smell of Tong Zhe's Eau de Toilette still lingered in Xia Ranjiang's breath, and even his body temperature was still firmly locked by the white sweater at this moment, resisting the evening chill.And that sunny yet slightly sly smiling face has taken root deep in Xia Ranjiang's heart. What Xia Ranjiang has to do is to protect this seemingly strong but actually weak life at all costs. .

Xia Ranjiang didn't dare to imagine, nor did he want to imagine what would happen in the future.For him, there are countless roads in front of him, each road is full of singing and singing, flowers are blooming like brocade, but the end of each road is a deep abyss.He could only dig up that plant of life by its roots, carefully transplant it at the intersection, then walk to the cliff without looking back, and jump off without hesitation.

In this way, Xia Ranjiang felt relieved.In the next few days, the two seemed to have reached a certain tacit understanding, and they never appeared in each other's communication records, even though they were worried about the same thing.

The last day before New Years.Xia Ranjiang came out of the library and pushed his bicycle to the dormitory.From a distance, I saw Tong Zhe pacing back and forth at the intersection.There were not many people on the road, so Tong Zhe immediately spotted Xia Ranjiang.

"It's such a cold day, don't wear a scarf."

Tong Zhe ran over, holding a thick white woolen scarf in his hand.Pressing the front of Xia Ranjiang's car, the scarf wrapped around Xia Ranjiang's neck, and collapsed softly on his chest, separating the cold collar.

"White is more suitable for you."

Tong Zhe clumsily tied the scarf and fastened it tightly.

"You gave me so many things, all of which are white. This white suit, if someone sees it at night, I think I've hit a ghost."

Xia Ranjiang joked that his neck felt much warmer.Even though all kinds of reasons for keeping a distance from Tong Zhe have been involuntarily popping up in my mind these days, when Tong Zhe stood in front of me, no matter how rigorous the logic was, the smile flashed in his eyes. , Sweeping away the long-standing depression.

"It's not that you look good in white."

There was a slight surprise in Tong Zhe's eyes, and he immediately turned around and stood beside Xia Ranjiang's body, putting his arms around Xia Ranjiang's shoulders.

"It's my New Year's gift to you."

"Then I'll accept it without hesitation."

"You're too embarrassed, why don't you get a gift in return?"

"Return the gift?" Xia Ranjiang hesitated for a moment. "Yes, there is, but it's quite a toss."

"What are you afraid of?"

"My mother asked me to go to Shanghai for the New Year's Eve." Xia Ranjiang lowered his brows. "But I don't really want to go."

"Then go, go to the Bund to watch the New Year's Eve fireworks show."

"Let's go together?"

"I'm worried about you going alone. What if your mother abducts you?"

Xia Ranjiang secretly smiled.She gave Tong Zhe a wink and asked him to wait downstairs in the dormitory.After a while, Xia Ranjiang went downstairs with a backpack on his shoulder.

In less than two hours, the two arrived at a western restaurant on Huaihai Road in Shanghai. At this moment, the sky was slightly dark.After a while, Yi Jihong also arrived.

"Xiao Ran, mom is very happy that you can come to Shanghai to have dinner with mom for New Year's Eve." Yi Jihong cut the steak with the knife and fork in his hand.

Xia Ranjiang didn't say anything, just sipped soda water on his own.Tong Zhe seemed to feel the embarrassment of the atmosphere. He looked at Xia Ranjiang and Yi Jihong. He felt that the temperament of the two people was so similar at the moment. He wanted to do something to adjust the atmosphere, but he still felt that it was better to shut up. good.

"Tong Zhe, how is your family doing now?"

Tong Zhe never expected that Yi Jihong would turn the conversation to himself after realizing Xia Ranjiang's indifferent attitude.

"My mother's condition has been much better recently, and my father's case has gained some positive momentum. Fortunately..."

"This is not the scene of the trial, and there is no need to respond to the lawyer's questioning."

Tong Zhe's face froze immediately.

"Yes, yes, look at me. I just finished a case today, and my mind hasn't turned around yet. Let's not talk about these depressing topics."

Yi Jihong's face was full of smiles, the dark circles under her eyes seemed to be getting heavier, and she was a little tired from running around for days.

"Tong Zhe, does this place suit your taste? I usually come here to eat casually. I don't know if you young people like it or not."

Tong Zhe was a little dazed, wondering if this sentence counted as a "lawyer's questioning", and kept winking at Xia Ranjiang, but Xia Ranjiang was as stable as Mount Tai, with his head drooping slightly, staring at the steak on the plate a little absent-mindedly.

"It's okay." Xia Ranjiang spit out two words secretly.

"As long as you like it, eat enough." Yi Jihong nodded slightly. "I'll ask the secretary to take you out later. Shanghai will be very lively on New Year's Eve tonight."

"No, let's go shopping by ourselves."

"Then I will send you a car, it will be more convenient." Yi Jihong seemed to be still fighting for it.

"no need."

"Well, then, I'll arrange a hotel for you nearby. Stay here if you're late, and leave tomorrow."

Xia Ranjiang remained silent.

"Auntie, I'm sorry, I'll be back later."

Tong Zhe felt that the atmosphere was getting worse and worse, so he pretended to have an upset stomach, grabbed his phone and walked outside.

The mother and son were left silent.

"Are you sure you can help Tong Sixian reverse the case?" Xia Ranjiang asked suddenly.

"Son, I won't break my promise to you." When Yi Jihong heard this, it sounded like Xia Ranjiang's questioning. "but……"

"We have agreed before that if this cannot be done, I will not go to the United States with you. This is an exchange condition."

"You listen to me first."

Yi Jihong took a sip of red wine, calmed down, and sighed slightly.

"Ah."

Xia Ranjiang realized that he seemed a little excited just now, and his tone was a little hasty, and he glanced sideways at the next table from time to time.

"Maybe I shouldn't tell you some things, but now you need to know."

Yi Jihong seemed to hesitate a bit in his words, took another sip of red wine, and continued.

"Two things. One is the cause of your father's death. The other is the background of Tong Zhe's father's case."

"My dad?" Xia Ranjiang raised his head suddenly in shock, his eyes opened wide.

"You know, as a lawyer, if you don't have solid evidence, you won't make such an arbitrary conclusion."

Yi Jihong was quite calm, staring straight at Xia Ranjiang's slightly flushed eye sockets.

"You should remember that your father left home to work on a construction site when you were young. At that time, Tong Sixian happened to be in charge of the construction site he went to."

"But my dad died in a car accident."

"No, it's not a car accident, it's a man-made accident."

Yi Jihong gritted her teeth slightly, with hatred in her eyes.Suddenly, he thought of something again, took out a file bag from his bag, and took out a stack of photocopies and photos from it.

"At that time, Tong Sixian brought in two cranes to the construction site in order to speed up the construction progress. However, Tong Sixian's contractor team was not qualified to operate large-scale mechanical cranes at that time. They found a few newbies and forced them to start work overnight. A demolition fence was knocked down, and behind the fence, your father and a few workers were resting. This is the construction certificate of the construction site, which clearly states the type of construction, equipment, and time. And this, the scene photos of the accident at that time. It was found during the investigation of the case during this period of time."

Yi Jihong handed over the materials one by one, but did not notice Xia Ranjiang's trembling hands.

"But why did everyone say it was a car accident..."

"If it's a construction accident, Tong Sixian will be fined, and the entire project will be shut down for rectification, causing immeasurable losses. If it's a car accident, Tong Sixian can completely lose money and settle down, so he can do whatever he wants."

"I don't believe it." Xia Ranjiang looked away, and the muscles on his cheeks were a little stiff. "This is a lie you made up. I know that your lawyers will make up all kinds of lies to achieve your own goals. You just don't want to help me, you don't want to help Tong Zhe, you are selfish, you used to be, and you are still now."

"Son, why did I lie to you? Whether you admit it or not, I am your mother. I can bear no matter how many misunderstandings or grievances. I ask myself, I love you, is this wrong?" The truth has changed. I tell you the truth not to make you hate, but you have an obligation to know the truth. I know the truth is cruel, but the truth is the truth. After working as a lawyer for a long time, you will find that the world we live in is not always It's blooming."

"But, you only have these materials... no witnesses."

"Witness?"

There was a hint of arrogance in Yi Jihong's eyes, as if the current situation was inevitable.Pick up the phone, quickly find a number, and pass the phone over.

"This is the testimony. There are still a few people who were with your dad back then. Even with the hush money, after so many years, there are always people with a guilty conscience. This person is surnamed Yang. I don't know if you have seen it. The forest farm management member."

Xia Ranjiang suddenly remembered that it was this person who found Tong Zhe's cell phone back then.

"You can call him right now and ask how your dad died."

Xia Ranjiang only felt that the tip of his thumb weighed a thousand catties. He just pressed the number on the screen, then quickly cut it off, and closed his eyes tightly.The situation when he was facing Tong Sixian suddenly appeared in front of his eyes.Every expression, every look seems to confirm the material tightly held in his hand.The death of his father left an indelible scar in Xia Ranjiang's heart, but that scar had just healed, and now it was forcibly torn open again, and blood gushed out.

"The second thing is about Tong Sixian's case." Yi Jihong took another sip of red wine, his face frosty. "Tong Sixian was transferred out of China after that accident and went to Africa. Ivory smuggling is just the tip of the iceberg. Behind it is a huge smuggling gang, and this gang is also engaged in drug trafficking. Although Tong Sixian is only a small role in it, but often He smuggled hundreds of millions of dollars of ivory into the country. The local government and the wildlife protection department have been eyeing him for a long time. Moreover, he is still smuggling in the name of a Chinese enterprise project, bribing the customs. It has been reported before He issued a warning, but he still didn’t stop, and was ready to get out with the last cash. Tong Sixian has been doing immigration for a long time, and this time he left the country in a hurry just to get his way abroad, and Tong Zhe must know it.”

"I can't believe you. It's just an excuse that you don't want to help, because you are afraid that losing the lawsuit will affect your reputation. If you immigrate, Tong Zhe told me a long time ago. I know what your purpose is. But we agree on the conditions It's clear."

Xia Ranjiang crossed his hands naturally, raised his chin slightly, and leaned lazily on the back of the chair.

"Your condition, mom is very clear, and mom agrees to you. Even if you already know the real cause of your dad's death, but still want to 'clear up the past and act bravely', mom can't say anything more. Mom appreciates your courage and courage. "It's good to value friendship, but you have to protect yourself and have a clear conscience."

Xia Ranjiang bowed his head and remained silent.

"You two have a good talk later. It's the first day of the new year in a few hours and everything starts over."

At this time, Tong Zhe came back in a hurry and sat down on the chair.But Xia Ranjiang and Yi Jihong were indifferent, as if they regarded him as air.

"Tong Zhe, let's go. Go to the Bund to watch the fireworks."

Xia Ranjiang wiped his hands with a napkin, threw it on the corner of the table, got up, pulled Tong Zhe up and walked out.Tong Zhe almost lost his footing and was almost dragged out.

"Auntie, thank you for your hospitality, I'm leaving first..."

But Yi Jihong didn't seem to hear it.Sitting upright, he unhurriedly cut the steak in front of him.Until Xia Ranjiang and Tong Zhe disappeared completely, Yi Jihong suddenly lowered his head and buried it in his arms, unable to stop his broken emotions, sobbing secretly.

At the moment, the Bund is crowded with people, shoulder to shoulder.The high-rise buildings on the other side of the Huangpu River are bright with neon lights, constantly changing various lights, shadows and shapes, reflected on the undulating waves of the river, and the whole river is full of brilliance, as if you can hold all the colors that are enough to fill the palette.Not far upstream, bunches of flames shot up into the sky one after another, bursting out numerous circles of light, large and small, which caused the audience to exclaim.

Standing behind Tong Zhe, Xia Ranjiang couldn't help showing a smile when he heard Tong Zhe's excited cry.But he didn't see that Tong Zhe's eyes were slowly turning red with his back turned to him.

"Hey, look at that, doesn't it look like a squirrel?"

"Ah."

"And that, over there..."

Xia Ranjiang looked towards the sky following Tong Zhe's guidance, his eyes were empty and his face was expressionless.The beautiful fireworks are projected on Xia Ranjiang's pupils, presenting a miniature world of light and shadow in Xia Ranjiang's eye sockets.But Xia Ranjiang seemed to have built a prison wall in his heart, even though the fireworks outside the fence bloomed with countless splendors, inside the prison wall was gloomy depression and anxiety.

"Tong Zhe..."

"Ok?"

Tong Zhe glanced back at Xia Ranjiang, leaned back, and put his arms around Xia Ranjiang's shoulders.

"Look, how spectacular. It's just that there is no way to stay there, and it is blown away by the wind so quickly."

"It's nice to have a moment."

Just as Xia Ranjiang was about to say something, he changed it again.

"What's so good, little fool, one moment is not enough to see."

Tong Zhe moved his mouth close to Xia Ranjiang's ear, and Xia Ranjiang's red ears immediately felt the warm breath.

"I want it all my life."

After finishing speaking, Tong Zhe lightly touched the back of Xia Ranjiang's head with his forehead.

"In the future, we will go to the Arctic Circle to see the aurora, which is more beautiful than this."

On a high platform not far away, someone was holding a camera and pretending to take pictures of the scenery, and the intimate movements of the two could be seen in full view.

"Miss Yi, you asked me to watch them, and now I have indeed discovered something. Let me send you the photos."

"received."

"Do you want to continue to follow? They seem to be leaving."

"No, it's almost there. Thank you."

On the other end of the phone, Yi Jihong was lying on the sofa in the office, the lights in the room were not turned on, and the fireworks constantly flashing outside the window reflected Yi Jihong's indifferent face from time to time.

Yi Jihong will never forget the day many years ago.Just as she dragged her suitcase out of the office and passed by the nearby construction site, she instinctively avoided the splashing ash in a professional attire.However, a burst of laughter in the enclosure attracted her.Taking a closer look, Yi Jihong looked at a familiar face under the dim streetlights.Under the light, the flying dust seemed to form a vague barrier, but Yi Jihong could still tell that it was Xia Chenglu.However, Xia Chenglu didn't seem to recognize her, and squatted in the corner, holding a lunch box in his hand and eating by himself.Just as Yi Jihong was about to step into the fence, a phone call came. Yi Jihong came back to his senses and responded while walking, turning his head from time to time to look at Xia Chenglu who was chatting with his workers not far away.

The next day, Yi Jihong arrived in New York, and this fleeting memory was gradually piled up in the busy affairs and left behind.But that night was the last time Yi Jihong saw Xia Chenglu.

How many times has Yi Jihong wondered in his heart, if he didn't have that phone call that night, would he be able to call out Xia Chenglu's name excitedly?If there is no flight scheduled that night, will he have time, even if it's just to catch up with Xia Chenglu?If I don't have to go to the United States, will I be able to continue my relationship with Xia Chenglu without having to endure so many years of grievances and helplessness?

On the other side of the earth, Yi Jihong often has a dream.In the dream, when Yi Jihong passed by the construction site, Xia Chenglu recognized her and greeted her.The two leaned against the railing, facing the setting sun, as if they were two teenagers who had just met each other, laughing out loud without any scruples.When waking up from the dream, Yi Jihong found that the pillow was already wet a lot.However, Yi Jihong still gritted his teeth and sat up from piles of legal documents, dragged his increasingly tired body out, and faced everyone he met on the street with a feigned mood.

All of this, Yi Jihong can only hide in his heart.She owed Xia Chenglu too much, so she could only redeem her guilt from Xia Ranjiang.

☆、Chapter 24

Three months later.

Because Tong Sixian voluntarily pleaded guilty and contributed to the fight against Internet smuggling, and Yi Jihong spent great efforts in organizing a huge defense team, Tong Sixian was only sentenced to six years in prison in the end.

On the day he was imprisoned, Tong Zhe saw his father again.Although it has only been three short months, my father has become a different person. His black hair before has turned frosty at the temples, his face is blue and black, his dimpled cheeks look sunken, and his eyes are lifeless and bloodshot.

"dad."

Tong Zhe felt a dull pain in his heart when he saw his father now, but this was the first time that he no longer had resistance and fear when facing his father. "In the future, take good care of yourself in there and strive for a reduction in sentence. Mom and I will come here often, and we'll be waiting for you. Tell me what's missing. Mom just finished the operation and is still lying in the hospital. I'll be there in the afternoon."

As Tong Zhe spoke, he began to wipe away tears.

"Son, Dad is sorry for you and set a bad example for you. Dad has no face to see you."

"Dad, stop talking." Tong Zhe sniffled.

"It's time, family members, please go out."

The side door next to Tong Sixian opened, and the prison guard stood beside him.

"Oh, Tong Zhe, thank you, Lawyer Yi, for helping me. At this time, she is the only one who dares to take this case. It must have taken a lot of effort. Dad also thank you."

"Dad, it's Xia Ranjiang."

"Xia Ranjiang?"

"Lawyer Yi is fucking."

Tong Sixian was walking out, when he heard this, he was stunned suddenly, his lips trembled slightly, and he walked out of the side door with his head down.

Winter goes to spring.The gloomy grayish yellow of Jinling City gradually faded, and traces of green began to spread in the streets and alleys.

"Hey, Xia Ranjiang, I heard that Tong Zhe's father was taken away, do you know about this?"

After the physical education class, He Xiaoyu sat on the stone bench and wiped his sweat with a towel. When he saw Xia Ranjiang coming, he pulled Xia Ranjiang to sit down and handed him a piece of chocolate.

"Don't spread the word if you're not sure." Xia Ranjiang lowered his voice, tore off the foil, threw the chocolate into his mouth, and took a deep breath. "Why didn't Li Li come this semester?"

"He dropped out of school. It's strange to say, remember the time when he went abroad for exchange a few months ago? He was arrested when he entered Australia. There were a lot of poisonous medicinal materials hidden in his luggage. Later, the school found the embassy. Settle it. Later, I don’t know why I dropped out of school, but I was really scared anyway.”

"Is there such a thing?"

"Can I still lie to you? Speaking of his chance to go abroad for exchange, you didn't give him up. If you insisted on not giving it to him, would he be able to go? I think this is retribution, should I take it? things will be unlucky."

"You'd better keep accumulating some morals, you must have encountered trouble, otherwise you won't be transferred to another school."

"Hey, why haven't you seen Tong Zhe come looking for you recently?"

As soon as the words fell, Xia Ranjiang saw Tong Zhe from a distance pushing a bicycle and walking with his head bowed——Since Tong Sixian was imprisoned, Tong Zhe seemed to have changed. Every time he saw him, he would frown and look thoughtful .School