【Mi Ying】that side

"So, have you chosen the model you want?" Edward von Walker asked when Arthur walked through the display cabinet for the third time.

The Estonian who runs an electronics store is a smart and kind-looking young man. After patiently introducing mobile phones and performances at different prices to Arthur, he did not rush, but gave Arthur time to think about it. Turn around and chat with Alfred about the recently purchased movie collection.

Those two must be friends with the same interests.Arthur looked up at the two young men wearing glasses, and then looked down at the display cabinet. He didn't pursue high-tech products, rather the high-priced modern products annoyed him more.

Hearing Edward's question, he had no choice but to answer bravely: "Is there a cheaper model? I just need to be able to make local calls and send text messages."

"Of course," Edward pointed to the simple model placed on the side of the display case: "This is the model produced in Northern Europe, and the standby time is also very long."

Alfred came over and interjected: "Are you sure you don't need network capabilities? Most people still choose smartphones these days." Arthur shook his head.He doesn't have any family members or any friends worth contacting, and he doesn't have a lot of savings. He doesn't plan to spend a lot of money until his salary is paid stably.

"I'll just choose this one. May I ask if you can get a phone card here?"

"Of course." Edward took out a new mobile phone and calling card from the cabinet behind him, and helped complete the basic settings with Arthur's consent.He handed the phone to Arthur and warned: "I need to explain to you that the base station construction in the town is not high-quality, and occasionally there will be poor signal. If you have a home computer, you will also find that the network function will be interrupted from time to time. , some websites are often unavailable.” The Estonian youth said helplessly.

Arthur shook his head: "I don't have a computer, and I don't need it."

Alfred stood beside him, making an exaggerated expression on purpose: "Arthur, you are still so young... Is your lifestyle so primitive?" Knowing that he was joking, Arthur gave him a blank look: "You just Treat me like a primitive."

What is not needed is not needed, and Arthur has his own principles in this regard.

Edward's explanation further strengthened his idea. The town's network function is not perfect, so there is no need for such additional expenses.

Arthur was quite satisfied with being able to successfully buy an affordable mobile phone, and finally he was able to dispel the grievance that the previous mobile phone was stolen on the bus.

Alfred recorded his mobile phone number in the smartphone address book, and typed his own number in Arthur's antique mobile phone, and said to Arthur: "Look, the first number in your address book The contact person is me."

Arthur couldn't help laughing at that ostentatious expression, and he pretended to be haughty and replied, "Let's take it as a special honor for you to help me." This drew deeper smiles from the Americans.

Just as he was about to leave the electronics store, a tall young man with pale blond hair walked up to him. He had a distinctive high nose bridge and looked like a Slav.Even though it was hot summer, the man still had a long scarf rolled around his neck, so he didn't look hot and sweaty.

Arthur couldn't help but glanced at the young man with a conspicuous figure and attire. The other party obviously noticed Arthur's gaze. He took a step towards Arthur. After looking at him for a while, he lowered his head and greeted with a smile: "This lovely gentleman ,Hello."

Arthur took a half step back reflexively: "... hello." He was not at all happy about being called "cute" by a stranger suddenly.

Alfred stretched out his hand and pulled Arthur behind him, his face and voice were a bit gloomy: "Ha, this is really a good mood to waste a day."

Since the acquaintance, this was the first time Arthur heard Alfred speak in that mocking tone, and he felt surprised and even awkward—it wasn't like the Alfred he knew.

Well, in fact, they have only known each other for two or three days.He convinced himself so in his heart.

The person being ridiculed didn't seem to care at all, his attention was always on Arthur: "This is the first time I've seen you." Arthur was about to introduce himself, but the other party continued, "We still We'll meet, but definitely not here." His smile deepened again, his voice small and gentle, but it only made Arthur feel more uncomfortable.

Alfred directly took Arthur's arm and strode away, throwing away the guy who seemed to be smiling but made people feel strange.

When he got back on the motorcycle, Arthur finally couldn't help asking: "Who was that person just now?" He felt that there was an indescribable strangeness about that person.His intuition told him that it was not the type that he should deal with, but he was still curious.

"Ivan Braginsky, he's a Russian." Alfred put on his helmet and replied with a sigh, "I live in the same apartment as us, on the top floor. I don't usually go out very much, anyway, he's a weird guy Guy. If it’s okay, don’t approach him.”

"...Really." Arthur secretly guessed whether the two had any quarrel, and found that Alfred was staring at him through the rear-view mirror of the motorcycle, apparently waiting for his answer, so he nodded.The atmosphere is so strange.

The American seemed relieved. After restarting the engine, he turned the car around and set off with the British towards their destination in the south.

As Biker promises, the drive to the southern suburbs isn't too far.After less than 10 minutes of driving, the speed gradually slowed down.

As soon as Arthur raised his eyes, he saw the Italian-style restaurant located in a non-prosperous area, with the Italian flag and the huge "Vargas1861" sign hanging on the door.

After Alfred parked the car, Arthur followed him into the restaurant.There are not many guests in the restaurant, and it is not noisy at all. The simple decoration and specially lowered warm light give people a good feeling.

The American pointed to the person standing in front of the counter and introduced to Arthur: "The owner of this restaurant is a brother named 'Vargas'. The one who looks angry is Lovino Vargas, his brother His voice was not small, and Arthur was worried that he would offend people, only to hear the Italian who was named retort loudly: "Who looks angry, asshole."

The brown-haired young man was quite handsome, but his expression didn't look very happy.He is a straightforward person, Arthur thought.

Another young man with brown-red hair came over with a big smile: "Good evening! It's a pleasure to serve you. So what would you like to order today?" He handed them the menu.

"Hi, Feliciano." Alfred took the menu and ticked it familiarly, not forgetting to point at Arthur, "This is Arthur Kirkland, my new neighbor."

"No wonder I have no memory of you. I will never forget the guests who have been here." Unlike his brother, Feliciano is a talkative person, with a warm and friendly expression with squinted eyes and a smile.

"Yes, I only recently moved to town," Arthur answered calmly.He looked at the Italian and thought, another guy with "this town's classic style."He's starting to get used to it.

"May I order some classic dishes for you?" Seeing that Alfred was looking up at him, Arthur nodded passively, and added a few seconds later: "One or two dishes are fine, I can't eat too much .”

"Don't worry, I understand." Alfred smiled and handed the menu to the owner of the restaurant who was waiting.

Feliciano took the menu and said with a smile, "It's so rare that Alfred will bring others over for dinner."

"Really." The Italian's words surprised Arthur. He thought that a well-connected person like Alfred should be the type who likes to have lively dinners, or often invites girls to restaurants for dinner.

After Feliciano handed the menu to Lovino, he turned around and chatted with them. When he learned that Arthur was working in the police station, the Italian showed a strange enthusiasm: "Wow! So Arthur is also a policeman?" ? If that’s the case, then you and Luther are colleagues, right? That’s great, Luther is a very reliable person!”

Arthur was surprised by Feliciano's excitement and liveliness, but he just smiled: "He is really reliable, but our working hours are usually staggered, and we haven't really worked together yet."

"That's it," the Italian seemed disappointed for a moment, but soon became happy again, "It's great to work together! By the way, you can call me Felici!"

Seeing Arthur smiling and nodding, Feliciano continued to introduce himself and the restaurant enthusiastically, "We usually live in an apartment on the east side of the town, and we opened the store near the suburbs because it is more convenient to buy and transport ingredients, so Our pricing is very affordable!"

"Brother idiot, you talk too much nonsense!" Lovino came out of the kitchen, holding two plates in his hand, Feliciano stuck out his tongue playfully, and obediently placed the bell peppers and mushrooms ordered by the Americans Toss with pasta and seafood pizza.I don't know if it was an illusion, but Arthur felt that the amount of cheese and seafood on that pizza seemed to be more than he had ever seen before.

"This is an extra weight specially prepared for you. It's the real thing. Thank you!" Lovino raised his chin proudly, turned around and went back to the kitchen after speaking.

He is a good person with a "special" way of expression.Arthur thought so, and looked at Alfred, who happened to be winking at him too.He couldn't help smiling.

Feliciano suddenly bent down and approached Arthur's face, "Hey Arthur, you're going to love this town."

This sudden intimacy and frank gaze made Arthur a little uncomfortable. He felt that there seemed to be other meanings in the words: "What do you mean?"

"I'm very happy to work here!" The Italian stood up straight again, and described it dancing, "Everyone living here is very kind, and the law and order are good. This period happens to be the off-season, and when the peak tourist season comes in autumn, tourists are slow Increase slowly, and the business will be better and more lively by then!”

"You don't need to show off this kind of thing! They are the police, they know more than you!" Lovino walked over with the third and fourth dishes, and glared at Feliciano.When he bent down to put down the plate, he lowered his voice and said to Arthur: "My silly brother is a bit talkative, please don't mind the guests."

The awkward expression and tone of the other party gave Arthur a vague sense of déjà vu, and he pursed his lips and smiled: "No." He thought, this pair of shopkeeper brothers is really interesting.

The taste of the food is really nothing to fault.Although Lovino seems to be unpredictable, his culinary skills are quite experienced. The use of seasonings and sauces is just right, and the flavor is very refreshing.

Dinner was also quite enjoyable.Alfred is a talkative guy and doesn't shy away from sharing his experiences and opinions.Compared with him, Arthur was the type who didn't talk much, but he didn't mind the other party leading the conversation, and there was no awkwardness or embarrassment in the whole dinner.

As for Feliciano's statement that "Alfred rarely brings others over for dinner", Arthur was still dubious.Although he has not known Americans for a long time, Alfred's enthusiasm and helpfulness to outsiders is obvious.

At least not from me.Arthur made a little self-sarcasm in his mind.

After dinner, they each paid for the meal, said goodbye to the owner brother, and went out.The sky is close to darkness, and the light source comes from the artificial lights on both sides of the road. The night in the suburbs is quieter than that in the small town.

They straddled the heavy locomotive skillfully. This time Arthur was not as restrained as before. Although he still held the handle of the vehicle with both hands, his upper body no longer kept the alienated distance.

The speed on the way back was not fast.Amidst the slightly noisy engine sound, Alfred's strong heartbeat passed through his back to Arthur's ears.Boom, boom, warm and regular.

The wind at night in summer tends to be cooler, and the speeding of the locomotive seems to be able to blow away the fatigue and thoughts of the day.

This was the first time Arthur came to the town and spent the night with others like this.Buying a suitable mobile phone, eating in a restaurant with a good atmosphere, chatting with interesting shopkeepers, tasting delicious food at a reasonable price, accompanied by a surprisingly large but chatty American neighbor, the night experience was more enjoyable than he expected too much.

Arthur took off his helmet and handed it to Alfred, who took it with a smile and pushed the car into the garage.

"Thank you for taking me to buy a mobile phone, and taking me to that restaurant, I..." While he was still hesitating, the American's answer came from the garage: "You're welcome! I had a great time. "

What he wanted to say was preempted by the other party, Arthur pouted: "Me too."

Alfred came out of the garage, his hair had collapsed due to being pressed by the helmet for a long time, only the blond hair on his forehead was still standing upright.He didn't wear glasses, and his sky blue eyes had a special kind of depth under the illumination of the street lights outside the apartment.

...as if he had seen such a look before.

Arthur was distracted for a moment, but was pulled back by a rough voice: "Okay, Alfred! I'm still thinking about why I can't find the car at night, so you rode it to a date?"

Arthur could recognize human voices without looking back.Gilbert walked up to them quickly, and when he saw Arthur's face, his expression was very happy: "Good evening, Arthur!" He also reached out and patted him on the shoulder.

"Good evening, Gilbert." Arthur had settled into his familiarity with former East Germans. "Thanks for the nice car, it was a great help."

Gilbert made a "no problem" gesture to Arthur, and then put his arm on Alfred's shoulder with a half-smile on his face. The latter smiled and patted him away: "I'm just giving the new neighbor a It's just helping." He smiled at Arthur.

"Okay," Gilbert didn't ask anymore, he went straight into the garage, "I need to use the car, and I don't think I'll return it until tomorrow. Do you have class tomorrow?"

"It's okay, I can run directly to school, and the time is about the same."

"That's good." Gilbert pushed the motorcycle out again, started the engine, said goodbye to the two, and then drove away.

Alfred helped Arthur open the door, and they walked to the apartment one after the other. There were only a few lights in the apartment.

People around here seem to go to bed pretty early.Arthur thought, and he said to Alfred, who was walking beside him, "Too much of your time is taking up today."

"How come! I had a great time, and I took the opportunity to visit some old friends. This is not a waste of time."

Arthur smiled gratefully, suddenly not knowing what to say.

On the contrary, it is rare for an American to show a disturbed expression: "Actually... I have thought about whether this will make you uncomfortable."

"Why?" Arthur asked curiously.

Alfred rolled his eyes: "You seem...always on guard against something."

It cannot be denied, nor can it be refuted.

Americans seem careless, but their minds are more careful than expected.

After a moment of silence, Arthur replied sullenly, "It's probably a habit I cultivated in the police academy... Plus, I haven't been here for long."

"Really, it's fine if I don't scare you." Alfred looked at Arthur's side face, raised the corner of his mouth and smiled again, and said nothing.

They said goodbye at the top of the stairs. When Arthur went upstairs, the American stood in front of the steps and watched him. When he passed the corner, Alfred shouted to him again: "Good night, Arthur!"

After tidying up and washing up, Arthur wrapped himself tightly into the bed as usual.

His gaze fell outside the window, and a layer of mist rose in the night, enveloping this warm town.

The cold touch of the previous two nights seemed to gradually disappear.

The people he met before he came to the new environment left him with varying degrees of good impressions—probably, except for the Russian with a strange smile.But for the time being, he doesn't want to let his first impression affect his evaluation of strangers. Maybe that guy is just not keen on getting close to people.Just like him.

The Japanese manager, the Portuguese breakfast shop owner, the kind Canadian and Hungarian colleagues, the brothers in the Italian restaurant, the carefree East German, and the confident but considerate American neighbor.

A wonderful idea suddenly flashed in his mind, or it should be called... a wish.I hope that the warm people in this small town can find peace and tranquility on this night, and every night in the future.

He didn't think he was a kind-hearted person, and it was incredible for him to have such an idea.He turned over, pulled the sheets tighter, and closed his eyes tightly.

Thinking back to the suburban scenery, although it is desolate, it has a wide field of vision. Mercedes-Benz on the road is another kind of beauty.I don't know what kind of scenery Alfred's university in the northern suburbs is like.

Also, you should also go to see the sea in the western suburbs.The sea that he missed completely because he accidentally fell asleep on the way to the town.

It should be like that: a sparsely populated beach, a large area of ​​light-colored fine sand, clear blue-green sea water, and a distant stretch of the horizon, which almost blends with the color of the sky and is inseparable.

Just like the sea in my memory.