Chapter 2: When we met, the past was reset 02
After I promised Fang Xuyou that I would go to Fang Chongyan's birthday party, I have been thinking about what gift to buy for Fang Chongyan. One day on the street, I accidentally passed by a boutique and saw the beautiful balls of yarn displayed in the glass window. Finally, I had an idea.
It took me four days to knit two scarves, one in taupe and one in pure camel. Both were knitted using the double ingot knitting method. They are simple but beautiful.
Because I wasn't sure which color Fang Chongyan would like, I put both scarves in gift bags and put them in my schoolbag, and chose the remaining one to give to Lin Jiaxuan, since he wouldn't mind it anyway.
After class on Wednesday, I followed the crowd to the school gate. From a distance, I saw a car with its flashing lights on. It honked at me as it approached. I frowned in annoyance, and then watched in shock as Fang Xuyu got out of the car and leaned against the door to beckon me in.
Fang Chongyan is not short of money , so it is not surprising to buy him a car. I didn’t expect that he would drive directly to the school.
"Studying literature? I saw you coming out of the School of Literature." Fang Xuyu asked me while driving.
"You've already found out everything, why are you asking me?" I deliberately retorted to him.
"Well, literature." He came over and looked at me with a raised lip corner, seeming to be in a good mood.
"Watch the road." I pointed ahead and yelled at him. He paused for a moment, then turned around, steering the wheel with one hand and resting his other hand on the window.
"You really hold a grudge against me." He looked ahead and smiled helplessly.
"Yes, there is a grudge." I answered angrily. Every cell in my body was clamoring that this person was annoying and I didn't want to get close to him, but I had to be close to him.
Then we didn't speak again.
The winter sea breeze made me feel very cold. As I drove into my favorite seaside avenue, the pink wild flowers that I saw last time in the residential area had all withered, and the dry and yellow vines were climbing on the gray tree trunks, lifeless.
Fang Xuyu drove the car through the wrought iron gate and parked in the yard. I saw that the swimming pool had been cleaned and replaced with clear water.
I never thought I would step into this place again, even after so many years, I still remember every blade of grass and every tree here. I have stopped outside the gate many times and returned disappointed, and I have vowed not to come to this place again, but I still came back.
Did my heart really want to come back so much? I thought I would have many complaints, but I didn’t expect that when I came back, my heart would be as calm as a lake in late autumn.
"You're not coming in? I've closed the door." Fang Xuyu stood on the top step and said to me bluntly.
I had no choice but to put away my thoughts and walk inside. But as soon as I stepped onto the stairs, he dragged me into the house.
I saw the person in the living room at a glance - Fang Chongyan. He was sitting on the sofa drinking tea and reading the newspaper, and the incense beside him was rising a faint green mist in front of his eyes. Hearing the sound at the door, he turned around and I saw that his eyes were full of shock.
"Weiwei? Is that Weiwei? You're here!" He stood up excitedly, his voice trembling a little.
I was looking around, with a cold face, not knowing what to call him.
"Come on, sit down, don't just stand there. Ah Hai, ask auntie to make tea." Fang Chongyan's enthusiasm made me very uncomfortable, and I moved stiffly to the sofa in the living room.
"I'm glad you can come." Fang Chongyan's eyes were filled with joy, and he continued, "You and Ah Hai are studying in the same university now, so I asked him to invite you to dinner, but I didn't expect you to really come. Over the years, I..."
Fang Chongyan was talking about something, but I couldn't hear him. Compared to his reaction, I seemed too indifferent. Fang Chongyan was a lot fatter than I thought, with white hair on his temples and wrinkles around his eyes.
He is old too. Thinking of this, my feelings towards him suddenly became complicated.
The father and daughter are related by blood, but there has been a gap in their lives for nearly ten years. No one can suddenly feel close to each other!
The more Fang Chongyan talked about the past, the more uncomfortable I felt. His life was going smoothly, his business was booming, and he would occasionally think of his debt to his daughter. He wanted to atone for his sins, but I was not ready to forgive him.
Rather than simply wanting to see him, I want to see how he feels guilty about his original choice. Only in this way can I comfort myself that he was wrong.
When he finally stopped nagging, I picked up my schoolbag, slowly took out two gifts, and whispered, "These are for you, choose one."
"Okay, okay..." Fang Chongyan took the gray-brown scarf, turned it over and over in his hand, and said in a trembling voice.
"I wish you good health." I pursed my lips and said dryly, unable to smile.
"...Okay." He nodded, his dull eyes becoming moist, "Weiwei is thoughtful."
I don't know where Fang Xuyu had gone just now, but he appeared at the door, leaning against the door frame and looking in my direction, his deep eyes were bottomless. He was unusually quiet, his eyes seemed to be on me, and he seemed to be thinking about something through me.
Fang Chongyan talked to me for a while and then went to the study to busy himself, leaving Fang Xuyu and me alone.
The auntie who cooked in the restaurant was busy preparing dinner. The TV in the living room was playing a variety show at a loud volume. Fang Xuyu sat on my right, crossing his legs and watching TV. I held the glass and sipped tea.
At this moment, we show an eerie harmony.
"That bag." Fang Xuyu looked at the gift for Lin Jiaxuan. I heard his voice full of joy. "For me?"
"No, you're overthinking it." I found it funny. Who did he think he was?
"Is it for that boy?" He looked at me with a burning gaze, and made sarcastic remarks in a roundabout way. I was too lazy to compete with him in such a verbal battle.
"What happened at the cafeteria entrance last time?" I asked.
"I waited for a week and met you by chance," he replied.
He was reluctant to explain, so I tried to figure out what he meant: he had been waiting at the cafeteria door for a week to invite me, so he was able to "meet" me by chance?
His stupid yet strong willpower is truly impressive.
"Let me change your cup. The tea is cold." He reached out involuntarily when he saw the cup that I was about to give him a heat rash from.
I avoided his hand: "No."
Who knew that the next second, he quickly took my cup and raised it high. I was furious and rushed over to take it back. He saw my action and dodged backwards. I fell into his arms without thinking. The faint smell of red wine on him hit my nose, and my cheeks felt like they were on fire.
I felt embarrassed and angry. I looked up and saw that he curled his lips and said in a teasing tone, "Fang Weiyang, you are thinking about another boy, and now you are throwing yourself into my arms?"
"Fang Xuyu, why are you so mean?" My nameless anger surged, and I quickly distanced myself from him and scolded him unhappily.
It was a mistake to agree to come with him. I must have been hit on the head by a durian at that time.
"Your cup," he reminded me.
“No.”
Leaving the living room, I went to the bedroom.
There were many empty rooms on the second floor, but Fang Chongyan at that time gave my favorite bedroom to Fang Xuyu.
Turning on the light, the blue room was very clean, except for the new sheets and curtains, nothing else had been touched. The wide French windows faced the sea, the sea was dark, the light of the lighthouse was flashing in the distance, the sound of the waves and the sound of the ship's whistle could be heard faintly.
I pushed open the sliding door of the compartment, walked to the balcony, stared blankly at the vast sea, listened to the sound of the waves, and felt empty inside.
I remembered the first time I met Fang Xuyu.
The little boy was sitting in the room, like a lonely star in the night, with his eyes drooping and tears falling. I watched the light blue bed sheet being dyed into a large area of heavy dark blue. At that time, I didn't understand how sad he was and what had happened to him.
All I know is that he occupied my bedroom and took Fang Chongyan away.
With a click, the door opened. I turned around, and my childhood memories and my current youth overlapped into a picture, and outside the picture stood me with mixed feelings.
He looked at me quietly for a long time, and his flamboyant face was filled with an indescribable melancholy under the backlight. I couldn't tell where his melancholy came from, just as I couldn't tell what his unclear approach to me meant.
As I recall, I hated him and he hated me too.
Fang Chongyan and he moved away, and my lively childhood gradually faded and became deserted. It was then that I realized that having boredom and excitement in life is also good, better than the endless loneliness and emptiness in the long time that followed, the kind of sensible pretending to be in order not to worry my mother.
Fang Xuyu came over, stood with me, and looked at the sea in the distance.
"Is it nice? The sound of waves." He asked me seriously with his hands in his trouser pockets, with an indescribable coldness on his body.
"It sounds nice." I answered honestly.
"I think it sounds nice, too." He said in a low voice.
The gentle words suddenly came out of his mouth, which made ripples in my heart. This is not like his style. I am sure I can fight back against him who is mean. This kind of him makes me feel at a loss.
We are both good at disguising ourselves, so we are particularly afraid of seeing each other's seriousness.
