Rust II

Lin An has read many people's descriptions related to reunion. There are those who are determined to be close/lovers, and those who know each other through mountains and rivers. They are sad or happy, crying or laughing, looking back suddenly, or meeting face to face, but There is no one that can include myself at this moment.

Lin An's eager footsteps stopped suddenly the moment he saw the man. He stared at the man's figure half leaning against the car window in the hazy night. The lights on the side of the road shone obliquely, illuminating every subtle move of the man. He seemed to be waiting for something, with his legs slightly bent, his hands slightly raised, his eyes slightly lowered, focused and silent; or he seemed to just pass by by chance, blown by the wind, covered by the moon, and caught between his fingers Surrounded by faint smoke, it is casual and indifferent.

A few loud dog barks came from the community, mixed with the roar of vehicles passing by on the road not far away. Lin Jing stood quietly in the shadow of the mottled trees, but in his ears he could only hear the ringing in his chest. The heartbeat of the drum.

I don't know how long it has passed, but the man seemed to have noticed something suddenly, put out the cigarette and turned his head.

Their gazes collided suddenly, Lin An was startled, then suddenly lowered his head, and withdrew his gaze fixed on the other party.

For a moment, the ground as far as the eyes could see was swallowed by a slowly approaching figure.

Xu Xin came over and stood in front of him without saying a word.

The very familiar silence diffused in the first cool autumn night.

Lin An's eyes were astringent, and the hands hanging by his sides were quietly clenched.He looked at the opponent's feet standing still in sight, silently concealing the panic and anxiety in his heart.

The jump of joy more than ten minutes ago was like a hallucination, and Lin An was so confused that Lin An didn't even know what kind of expression he should use to raise his head at this moment, looking at the face right in front of him.

Until Xu Xin's deep voice appeared in his ears.

"Lin An."

Lin An's eyes trembled.

The two fell silent again, and the other party stopped talking after calling out, as if waiting for someone's response.

Lin An clenched his fists, tried his best to push away his chaotic thoughts, and slowly raised his pale face.

A pair of tender eyes fell into sight.

Xu Xin looked at him, and after a few seconds, he asked softly, "Just got off work?"

Lin An stared blankly at the front for a long time, then nodded dully.

Xu Xin smiled slightly, and asked again: "Have you eaten?"

Lin An seemed to be stung by the laughter, and turned his eyes away hastily.

"……Um."

Xu Xin still looked at him, and made the invitation again on the phone, "... then go out for a walk together?"

Lin An looked at him, and there seemed to be some kind of emotion surging in his eyes.

Xu Xin looked back calmly, smiled after a while, turned around and walked towards the car parked not far away.

As if he had expected the obedience of the other party, both of them were silent during the stop and go all the way. Xu Xin never even asked the person next to him about his thoughts and opinions on the destination. Drive in the direction of the avenue.

Lin An was sitting upright in the car, staring blankly at his knees. In the silence, countless thoughts flew through his chaotic mind.

The fuzzy memories that I avoided in the past could no longer be restrained: the drunken night, the uncontrollable tears, the crazy nonsense; and the countless information related to that person that I have recently learned: Chen Jianliang's "joke" ", Ding Hua's "persuasion", Xu Yuan's "questioning".They are sometimes fast and sometimes slow, sometimes complete and sometimes broken, and keep running over my heart, unable to catch up, nor can they be easily intercepted.

In panic, my messy thoughts shifted from the phantom of the past to the reality in front of me.

... what was he thinking... what would he say?

... If asked, how should I answer and how to do it.

Lin An was thinking in a trance, but found that the answers to these questions never seemed to be in his hands.

The car stopped at a completely unfamiliar intersection, Xu Xin turned his head and glanced at Lin An who was sitting next to him with his head bowed the whole time, and suddenly broke the anxious silence.

He asked, "Do you want to listen to music?"

Lin An moved his hand on his lap, and after a short pause, he shook his head slightly.

Xu Xin seemed to be aware of the tension and panic that the other party was trying to hide, but he didn't intend to point it out. He looked at the other party for a while, then turned his gaze back to the indicator light, and after a while, he found the next topic casually. .

"I heard from Xu Yuan... are you going to let her participate in the composition competition organized by the city?"

Lin An was slightly taken aback when he heard it, and two seconds later, his face suddenly turned red for some reason.

"Ah."

The traffic light changed, and the car continued to move forward. Xu Xin honked his horn, but did not answer.

Lin An anxiously moved his gaze to one side of the car window, took a deep breath, forced himself to open his mouth again, and carefully explained to the other party: "She...she is very talented, I want her to take this opportunity to try... ..."

Speaking of this, but for some unknown reason, he suddenly stopped.

"Try what?" Xu Xin glanced at him and asked.

Lin An murmured, but suddenly refused to continue.

The car drove steadily to the intersection of Feilong. Xu Xin smiled and spoke for him: "Try to 'abandon martial arts and follow literature'? Or try to correct evil and return to righteousness?"

Lin An seemed to be hit by these four words so hard that he stayed in place for a while before he suddenly came to his senses. He blurted out and denied, "No! It's not..." His voice was soft but hurried.

Xu Xin stared ahead, seemingly unaware of his gaffe, and asked after a smile, "Did she agree?"

Lin An hadn't recovered from the panic just now, after a while, Fang shook his head in a slightly dejected manner, and replied softly: "...not yet."

The car seemed to be about to reach its destination, and the speed gradually slowed down. Xu Xin held a meeting along the tree-lined avenue, found a parking space at random and stopped the car.

In the completely quiet compartment, there were only two faint breaths and the dim light from the dome light.

Xu Xinshou put it on the steering wheel, turned his face and looked at the passenger seat next to him again.

Lin An sat stiffly on the seat, without moving for a long time. He seemed to be aware of the extremely focused gaze fixed on him, and his pale face blushed uncontrollably.

"Perhaps you can try asking again."

In this uneasy silence, Xu Xin's voice suddenly sounded again.

Lin An curled his fingers slightly, and couldn't help turning his head to look at the other party.

Xu Xin stared at him, with a strange tenderness on his face under the light.

Lin An was stunned by this gaze, the panic in his heart gradually subsided, and what replaced it was another unspeakable inexplicable throbbing.

Xu Xin smiled at him, and after a moment of silence, he continued to whisper: "After all, people's hearts are changeable. Over time, the answers to many questions may be different."

Lin An was shocked.

Xu Xin looked at his blank face for a while, then turned around and unbuttoned his seat belt, looked out of the dark window, and said softly, "Get out of the car, we're here."

Lin An was still immersed in the unclear meaning of the other party's words just now, but couldn't recover. After a long while, he finally realized, and hurriedly opened the car door.

The lush trees on both sides of the road are illuminated by dozens of ground lamps, presenting a dreamlike and charming color.

Lin Jingjing stood behind Xu Xin, the leaves at his feet were blown up by the wind from passing vehicles, and fell to the ground with a slight sound.

Xu Xin stopped for a moment on the side of the road, and walked towards one of the wooden bridges built behind the bushes.

This is a famous open park in Chengdong District of City C in recent years. It covers a large area and has all kinds of internal facilities. Pavilions, pavilions, flower and bird gardens, suitable for all ages, and because of its excellent location - East Commercial Pedestrian Street , is adjacent to the new site of a famous school in the west, so from daytime to nighttime, tourists here have always been in an endless stream.The nearby citizens also especially like to hang out here after dinner, or there are young lovers whispering in the dense forest, or elderly couples snuggling and strolling by the river.

It's just that the two of them came too late today, and the night was already very thick at nearly ten o'clock. Along the way, except for a couple of intimate couples who didn't want to go home, there was no sound of people in the garden. Inside can even be described as cold and bleak.

Lin An's face blushed quietly, and he followed behind Xu Xin without looking sideways, deliberately ignoring the clear and ambiguous sounds made by the two of them landing on the wooden board one after another.

After a few minutes, the two finally left the narrow wooden bridge built by the water and stepped onto the flat and spacious stone floor.

Xu Xin's footsteps slowed down, and then quietly retreated to the side of the person who was slightly behind him.

Lin An noticed it, and lifted it up again with a sigh of relief. He lowered his eyes slightly and stared firmly at the road ahead. However, due to the close distance, the shoulders and arms of the two always touched each other intentionally or unintentionally. Collide.

As a result, the lingering scorching breath made people's shoulders and necks feel hot.

While the cinnamon was floating, Xu Xin's voice floated into his ears very clearly.

"Remember here?"

Lin An raised his head and looked around a little nervously. He saw several festive lanterns floating on the river not far away. Like lovers who can't be separated, they look at each other affectionately at both ends.

Not long after Lin An returned to City C, he hadn't had time to visit many places. In addition, the great changes in the city over the years made the memories deep in his mind look completely different.

He looked at the unique but unfamiliar scenery in front of him, and after trying to search in his mind, he shook his head dejectedly.

Xu Xin withdrew his eyes from the man, and looked at the artificial river ten meters away with him.

"More than ten years ago, this place was an abandoned garden where factories were housed."

After speaking, he turned around and stared at the other party very quietly.

Lin An was taken aback for a moment, and when he understood the meaning behind the other party's words and gaze, he froze in place.

During the extreme astonishment, an inexplicable sense of helplessness swept over.

Xu Xin stopped at some point. He stood beside Lin An, observed the expression on the other's face for a moment, then smiled, lowered his head and took out the cigarette case from his pocket.

Lin An's gaze was firmly fixed on him. In the cool evening breeze, it seemed that all the organs in his body lost the ability to perceive other things in an instant, so in his eyes, ears, and heart, only Xu Xin was left. The expressions and movements that were infinitely slowed down and enlarged.

He looked at the vague smile on his lips, at the faint annoyance on his brows due to his addiction to cigarettes, at him reaching into his pocket with one hand, holding the cigarette case in his hand, and at the Mars, whose cigarette butt was lit, hesitated for a moment, then looked at himself inquiringly.

Lin An's lips moved, and the caring words that he had bravely said to the other party countless times lingered between his teeth. Xu Xin looked at it, smiled again, and put the cigarette back to his mouth.

This small and secretive movement seemed to be a code word that only he and the other party could understand. Lin An shook his head, his heart beat wildly, and he hurriedly looked away.

Xu Xin's voice immediately rang in his ears.He said softly, "I've come here often these years."

Lin Anding looked at the river with ups and downs of light and shadow.

Xu Xin looked at him, and after a long silence, he suddenly asked him, "Lin An, these 12 years... how have you been?"

Lin An's eyelashes trembled slightly as he looked sideways at him, and an unprecedented sourness suddenly grew in his heart.

He stood there blankly, speechless for a while.

I have worried, feared, and feared more than once in countless nights, fearing that if I can meet the other party again one day, I will be helpless against the other party's annoyance and questioning, but he has never fantasized or expected that Xu Xin will Like this moment, send yourself a simple and calm greeting like an old friend.

Lin An nodded to the black shadows of the two standing sideways under the light, and then shook his head in the dim circle of light for some reason.

When Xu Xin saw it, he didn't ask any more questions, but after a smile, he suddenly said, "To be honest, I'm not doing well."

Lin An was shocked, and there was a dull pain in his hesitant heart.

"Do you know why?"

Lin An stared blankly at his feet, his vision became blurred without warning, he shook his head slightly, and after a while, he nodded in pain.

Facing the rippling river surface under the breeze, Xu Xin continued: "I often think of those years when I was wandering outside when I was young. At that time, if I wanted to go to a nearby place, I would run on two legs. If I wanted to go to a farther place, I would take a boat. , riding in a car, wandering and living without a fixed place, even if you want to smoke a better cigarette, you have to consider whether your pocket is still in stock." Speaking of this, Xu Xin seemed to be suddenly amused by his embarrassment at that time , smiled very briefly, and after a pause, Fang added with a sigh: "...Fortunately, there was Ding Zi, Chen Jialou, by my side at that time."

Lin Jingjing listened quietly, his eyes flickering, and there seemed to be thousands of words choked in his throat.But he didn't speak.

Xu Xin stopped for a while, as if he was also caught in the chaotic but vivid memories of the past. He retracted his gaze from the river bank, turned back to the top of Lin An's head, and continued to whisper: "You came again later."

Tears finally couldn't be controlled, and ran down his face. Lin An's shoulders trembled slightly, but he didn't look up.

"Lin An, I was no different from you at that time."

But one was kicked down from the clouds to the mire, while the other was born in the mud and grew up in the mud.

Xu Xin looked at each other for a while, compared with more than ten years ago, the light in his eyes seemed to be the same everywhere, but when he looked closely, it seemed to be different everywhere.

He kept his gaze on Lin An's glowing side face for a long time, and after a long time, he took out a small and worn-out thing from his inner pocket, put it in his palm, and slowly handed it over to him.

is a key.

Under the dim light, the rusty handle with the reminder tape has turned yellow, and even the corners are slightly warped. If it hadn't been carefully maintained, it would have fallen off along with the belt shell long ago, and it could be written on it. However, it seems that they have not been slaughtered by time at all, and they are still as bright as ever.

305

Lin An was shaken all over. He looked at the key that he treasured and left behind without moving, and slowly raised his hand.

But he didn't want his cold wrist to be held firmly and forcefully by the warmth from the other end at the moment when fingers and palms meet.

The scalding temperature spread instantly.

Lin An raised his head and met the silent gaze of the other party.

Xu Xin looked at him, smiled after a while, then shrank his hand back, and held the pale palm that was also cool.

The key was trapped in the palms of the two, like a restless beating heart.

Lin An looked ahead with tears in his eyes. Xu Xin's appearance had long been blurred in the dim vision, but all the past buried in his heart and lingering in his dreams became more and more intense with the temperature lingering between his fingers and palms. clear.

Lin An's mouth moved, and he was about to say something, but Xu Xin shook his head at him again at this moment, and gently released his clasped hands.

He looked at the other person quietly for a while, then suddenly stopped his gaze on a certain forehead of that person, and sighed softly: "The scar is still there."

Lin An was taken aback.

Xu Xin stared at that place again for a while, chuckled, and then continued half-reminiscing and half-jokingly: "I still remember that year at the entrance of the long alley, you were injured by the yellow dog's men, I hugged you You went to the hospital, and saw you bleeding all over your head and face along the way, and you were so frightened that your legs almost went limp."

Lin An was startled.

Xu Xin gradually suppressed the smile in his eyes, and asked him in a low voice, "Do you still have any memories?"

Lin An looked at him.

The long-awaited memories flooded back again—the morning of the turbulent war, the endless curses, and the wanton flying fists and feet.Lao Wang hurried to find him and said that Ding Hua ran into a yellow dog from Hongmeichang at the entrance of the alley. He suspected that the other party had stabbed his good brother Chen Jialou and had a long-standing grievance.Xu Xin decisively decided to go with him to see the situation, but ordered himself to stay where he was following.

He wandered anxiously in the factory, knowing that even if he followed in the past, he would be overwhelmed, knowing that his purpose should be clear and should not hesitate, and also knowing that following Xu Xin's wishes to stay is the most powerful blow to him who is gradually losing control and reminders.But when he saw the figure of the other party gradually disappearing from sight, he still followed uncontrollably.

He hid in a corner and watched secretly, watching the man lower his head to avoid the sneak attack from behind, watching the man deftly turn around and pass by the oncoming stick, and also watching the outnumbered man being attacked from the back and the back, watching the man's body The shoulders, calves, and chest repeatedly escaped the opponent's heavy blows.

The heart will rise and fall accordingly, and the mind will no longer be firm.

So watching and watching, he gradually forgot where he was, why he came here in the first place, and that he shouldn't make the same mistakes again and again.

I also forgot to abandon my reason and take a path that I shouldn't take. What I have to face is often the ending of "broken head and blood".

"...Remember." Lin An murmured.

Xu Xin still looked at him, and after a while, he suddenly stretched out his hand to caress the wound, which was so faint that it was almost invisible, and said in a low voice: "After you woke up, I was in a hurry, and I said something to you, remember? "

Lin Anding looked at each other.

The light hanging above the head in the ward that day seemed to have passed through a long time with this question, and once again enveloped the dazed and fearful self.

Xu Xin looked at himself with a gloomy face, and asked him angrily why he followed.

I hesitated and hesitated under the scorching gaze of the other party, and finally answered tremblingly, because I was worried, because I was concerned, because I wanted to be like other people, and when difficulties came, I could stand by the other party's side to resist together.

But the other party told him categorically that he was different from others.

Lin An was silent, and slowly lowered his gaze, the key in his hand was so hot that his palm was hot.

Xu Xin seemed to have understood what he was thinking in his heart. After a moment of silence, he took another step forward.

In the sudden approaching breath, the depressing answer many years ago seems to have changed into a hot love story that makes people blush.

He repeated the answer softly: "You are indeed different from others."

Lin An looked up.

I saw Xu Xin was looking at him with special concentration, "At least for me, it has never been different."