Chapter 3: The gap gradually appears 1
I have liked many people, but no one has ever left me like her. When she left, I was so confused and speechless. Shen Muxi, in our ignorant first love, you won.
——Qiao Xinyu
After returning to the rental house, I plugged my dead phone into the charger to charge it. As soon as I turned on the phone, it was bombarded with text messages and WeChat messages. They were all text messages from Xiao Anning and Sunai. I read them all. Sunai told me that Xiao Anning's mother was forcibly taken to a mental hospital, and now Xiao Anning is on the verge of collapse.
Sunai asked me to rush to Binhai.
I took my power bank and cell phone with me and hurried out to take a taxi to the Binhai District.
We all know that Xiao Anning's mother has been insane, but she has not yet been sent to the hospital. In the past, Xiao's mother occasionally became mentally ill, but most of the time she still recognized her daughter and the neighbors around her.
When I rushed to Xiao Anning's house, she was squatting at the door, hugging her knees and crying, and Sunai was comforting her.
Seeing me coming, Suna came over, pulled me aside, and explained the cause and effect of the matter.
It turned out that the last time Xiao Anning went home was to deal with Xiao's mother's matter. A long time ago, the neighbors had signaled Xiao Anning to send Xiao's mother to the hospital. Xiao Anning's family is a single-parent family. The family's income only comes from her occasional performances and her mother's subsidy. There is simply no money to send her to the hospital. The last time she went home, Xiao's mother had an attack and scared the neighbor's children to tears. The neighbor's family and relatives reported it to the police station and demanded that Xiao's mother be sent to a mental hospital.
The hospital is now urging Xiao An Ning to pay the corresponding fees, but Xiao An Ning simply cannot afford that much money.
After listening to this, I glanced at Xiao Anning who was squatting in the corner and asked Sunai softly, "Why didn't she tell us?"
"Why else? I have to save face." Sunai muttered, "I borrowed some money from my father to give her, but this is not a solution. We can lend her money, but this will also put pressure on her. She will have to bear these debts in the future. How tiring it will be."
I walked over to Xiao An Ning, put my hand on her shoulder, and said softly, "An Ning, it's okay. Nana and I are here. We will solve all the difficulties with you."
Xiao An Ning buried his head, and his voice came out muffled: "How can it be solved? Our family's difficulties are not temporary."
I sat next to Xiao Anning, and Sunai also sat over. I deliberately said, "Three cobblers can be better than one Zhuge Liang, not to mention that we are young, beautiful, smart and intelligent. Is there anything we can't solve?"
Sunai echoed what I said, "That's right. Mu Xi is at least a little famous on the Internet and has a wide network of contacts. My father is the chairman of Zhengfeng Group. He can get a lot of resources once he casts a net. He can guarantee you many opportunities to survive in the future."
I frowned slightly, feeling that this was inappropriate.
As expected, after Xiao An Ning heard what Sunai said, she immediately raised her head and started crying: "You are all so outstanding, but I am the only one who can't do anything and I am still a pauper!"
Sunai quickly put his arm around Xiao Anning's shoulders and explained, "That's not what I meant. Anning, you're so great. We only need to give you a little advice and you'll understand a lot of things. So what I mean is that Muxi and I can provide you with a channel. If you grasp this channel, you'll be able to make great progress in the future."
I smiled bitterly. Sunai's way of comforting people was a little strange, but it was quite useful to Xiao Anning.
Xiao Anning stopped crying and asked, "Then will I have enough money to support my mother?"
"Of course." Suna and I answered in unison.
Xiao Anning turned his head to look at me, and just as he was about to say something, he suddenly changed the subject and asked, "Muxi, did you get your hair cut?"
"Ah." I pinched my ear-length hair and said, "Say goodbye to the past."
Xiao Anning threw herself into my arms like a little child and said with great grievance, "Don't say goodbye to the past. Nana and I are also your past. You won't forget us, will you?"
I couldn't help but be amused by Xiao Anning. I stroked her soft hair and said, "I'll say goodbye to anyone but you."
Xiao Anning sobbed and said, "Muxi, I'm sorry. I made you sad when I said I wouldn't sing."
I looked up at Sunai, and she happened to be looking at me. We exchanged feelings of relief with our eyes - relief for Xiao Anning.
Sunai leaned on Xiao Anning and whispered, "In the future, the three of us will still be together and will never be separated. As soon as there is an opportunity for commercial performances, we will strive for it. Muxi, from now on, the money we earn from commercial performances will be divided 20:20:60, and 60:70 for Xiao Anning. Xiao Anning, you must also remember in the future, no matter what difficulties you encounter, you must tell me and Muxi, and we will share them with you."
Xiao Anning burst into tears and shouted, "You are going to spoil me!"
We laughed together , our figures moving closer and closer to the vine-covered doorway.
I couldn't understand Xiao Anning's feelings because of her ordinary and happy family. I could only help her with my own ability and tell her that no matter how big the waves of life are, you have to face them and stand firm. I also hope that our friendship will be the same.
After Xiao An Ning calmed down, she took us to meet her mother. I secretly found the dean and gave her half of my savings as medical expenses for Xiao's mother, asking her not to make things difficult for Xiao An Ning with the medical expenses for the time being.
Xiao Anning chatted with Xiao's mother, who had recovered, for several hours. When we left, Xiao's mother stood at the door of the room and looked at us for a long time with tears in her eyes.
The taxi drove into the city and it was already dark. I was sitting in the front seat and looked back to see Xiao An Ning sleeping soundly on Sunai's shoulder. I felt at ease.
Suddenly, my cell phone rang. I took it out and saw that it was He Yue calling.
After answering the call, He Yue paused and asked, "Where are you? Are you attending evening classes?"
"No." I closed the window that was blowing air in and said, "Something happened today. I'm in a taxi on my way home now."
"Hmm." He Yue hesitated for a moment and asked, "How much salt should be put in a plate of noodles with soybean paste with a diameter of 15 centimeters? I can't understand the recipe, so I have to ask you."
Xiao Anning smacked her lips behind me. I bent over and whispered, "Use a seasoning spoon to add two spoonfuls first. Taste it. If it's not enough, add a little more. Soy sauce is salty to begin with. Don't add too much."
"Well, I'll try it and come back early for dinner." He Yue said.
"good."
I hung up the phone and didn't think anything was wrong. It wasn't until I thought about it carefully that I felt something was wrong.
He Yue couldn't understand the recipe? How could someone as smart as him not understand the recipe?
Also, why did he ask me to go home for dinner so naturally? Was he making dinner for me?
Thinking of this, I immediately shook my head.
How is that possible? How could He Yue be so kind as to cook dinner for me? He was already doing me a favor by heating up the leftovers in the pot.
I patted my head and stopped thinking about it.
The taxi stopped at the school first, Sunai woke up Xiao Anning, and the two of them went back to the dormitory first. Then, the taxi took me to Qingshui Bay.
After I got out of the elevator, I saw from a distance that the door of He Yue's house was not closed. I ran over and saw He Yue wearing an apron and bringing a plate of noodles with soybean paste to the table.
"What are you doing standing at the door? Change your shoes, wash your hands, and have dinner." He Yue glanced at me standing blankly at the door and spoke.
"Oh." I changed my shoes, washed my hands, and then sat at the dining table.
He Yue brought another portion and sat down in front of me. He pushed the first portion of noodles in front of me and said, "Eat."
I held the fork in my hand and murmured, "Did the sun rise from the west today?"
"It's not that the sun has risen from the west, it's that I have signed a contract for a new album and I'm in a good mood." He Yue has sharp ears and heard my mumbling immediately.
“I see.”
It is no surprise that He Yue would do such a thing.
I nodded to show that I understood, and then began to taste his cooking.
It's a little salty, no, it's very salty.
I had a ball of noodles in my mouth and was about to spit it out. He Yue immediately covered my mouth and said, "Swallow it."
The tone of command leaves no room for doubt.
I swallowed the noodles with difficulty, and He Yue poured me a glass of boiled water.
I drank all the boiled water in one breath, and then watched He Yue eat the noodles with soybean paste on his plate with relish.
Doesn't he think it's salty? Thinking of this, an idea flashed through my mind, and I suddenly understood something. I slammed the table and tried to snatch the plate in front of He Yue. He Yue quickly took it away and walked to the bar next to him.
"He Yue, you did it on purpose, didn't you? You made it so salty?"
He Yue was honest. He leaned over the bar and said, "Your share was for me to practice with. I failed."
"I knew you weren't that kind." I glared at him and fiddled with the fork in my hand in frustration.
He Yue looked up and glanced at me, and said, "Shen Muxi, someone came to see me today."
I suddenly became nervous and asked, "Who is it? Is it Qiao Xinyu?"
It must be him. He misunderstood what happened between He Yue and me this morning.
He Yue smiled, his eyes revealing deep meaning.
I walked over and said, "Qiao Xinyu came to see you, don't pay attention to him, did he say anything to you?"
He Yue ate his noodles with soybean paste, thought for a while, and nodded.
"What did he say to you?" I leaned my hands on the bar and stared at He Yue with my head tilted.
He Yue swallowed the noodles and said, "You said a lot."
I said angrily, "Don't believe what he says. It's abominable that he came back and actually looked for you. What does this have to do with you?"
He Yue looked at me and couldn't help asking, "Shen Muxi, are you normal? I just said that someone came to see me today, why do you suspect your ex-boyfriend?"
"What do you mean..." I stared at He Yue blankly. He was so cunning that I really couldn't understand what he was talking about.
He Yue pushed the plate of noodles aside and said, "The person who came to see me is a friend of mine named Li Chuan, the music director of Konjac Records. Regardless of what your friends think, if you still love music as much as before, I can find a way to introduce you to him."
He Yue is so powerful. He first tried every means to make me laugh, and then gave me such a big benefit, making me want to blame him but unable to do so. In the end, I even had to worship him.
My mind was full of the name of Li Chuan, the music director of Konjac Records, and there was no room for anything else. I sat at the bar, smiling flatteringly: "Scheming boy, you are so good to me, how can I repay you?"
He Yue looked at the plate and said, "Wash the dishes."
I couldn't refuse.
I carried the plate to the kitchen. It was the first time I was so willing to be ordered around by someone.
I looked back at He Yue. He was sitting at the bar with his back to me, and he had his cell phone out to send text messages.
I thought for a while and asked, "Senior, why would you help me?"
"I'm not helping you. I recommended you because Li Chuan said that Konjac Records needed fresh blood. Recommending my schoolmate to work there is also a way to bring honor to my alma mater. You don't need to think too much about it." He Yue seemed to be clearing himself of suspicion, but in fact, the more he explained, the worse it got.
"I will believe it."
I muttered, scrubbing the dishes in the sink vigorously.
After washing, I stretched my body. Because I didn't have dinner, my stomach started to growl. I covered my stomach and looked at He Yue awkwardly.
He Yue looked at me, opened his lips slightly, then turned his face away and said, "There is another bowl of noodles with soybean paste in the refrigerator. It doesn't taste salty."
I opened the refrigerator and took out the noodles with soybean paste.
"Since you are willing to help me with such a big favor, I will not mind you playing tricks on me."
He deliberately left the failed noodles with soybean paste for me to eat, knowing that I couldn't finish it, and also prepared a successful portion of noodles with soybean paste and put it in the refrigerator. He also helped me contact the director of an excellent record company so enthusiastically. He must have been lonely and bored or had ulterior motives.
I stared at He Yue with a vigilant look like a secret agent. He Yue went to get a glass of water and acted as if I was not there. I felt very bored, so I had to finish my dinner in silence, cleaned up the kitchen and went back to the bedroom.
I made an appointment in the WeChat group and planned to go shopping with Xiao Anning and Sunai to relax. By the way, I would tell them about this matter when there was any news about He Yue.
The recent classes have all been rehearsal classes. Sunai, Xiao Anning and I have been assigned to different teams, so we don’t have much time to meet.
After rehearsal, I went to the school cafeteria to make a cup of pear water, and suddenly I heard deliberately low footsteps behind me. I turned around, but before I saw who was coming, my eyes were covered by a pair of hands.
"Xiao Anning, it's you." I said firmly.
Xiao Anning whispered in my ear: "It's me, are you ready? We are going to give you a surprise."
"Yes, yes, I'm ready." I smiled helplessly. She had so many clever ideas that even catching a cricket and giving it to me could be considered a surprise.
Xiao Anning slowly removed her fingers, and my sight gradually recovered. I turned my head and saw Sunai suddenly jumping in front of Xiao Anning, opening his arms generously and shouting, "We are the 'Support Shen Muxi Short Hair Alliance'!"
I looked at the two smiling girls in front of me, their long hair all cut to ear length.
"How is it? Does it look good?" Xiao An Ning rushed over and said, "Maturity is for Sunai, and cuteness is for me." As she said that, she pinched her short hair and turned around.
"You look the best."
I poked Xiao Anning's nose, feeling mixed emotions.
I don’t know how to describe my feelings at this moment. I just feel that I have no regrets at all because I have both of them in this life.
Sunai smiled helplessly. She went to the window and ordered three steamed dishes. She placed them on the dining table and called my name: "Muxi, let's eat."
Xiao Anning jumped over while shaking her head and said, "I didn't know it before I cut my hair short. It turns out that after cutting my hair short, I feel so relaxed."
"It's not good to relax. You are under so much pressure, you should relax." Sunai said as he brought the steamed dishes to the table.
"Yes, I was under pressure, so I went to cut my hair. What pressure do you have, Miss Su?" Xiao An Ning stared at Su Nai strangely and asked with ill intention.
Sunai rolled her eyes at her and said, "I came here purely to accompany Muxi."
"Eh?" Xiao An Ning deliberately said with disdain, "You and Mu Xi are the only ones who have a good relationship, and I am just here to accompany Mu Xi, okay!"
I watched them bickering with a smile, and felt at ease.
After losing Qiao Xinyu, I am lucky to have them by my side.
Xiao Anning pulled Sunai aside to talk, and Sunai ate while answering her perfunctorily.
My cell phone suddenly rang with a text message. I quietly took it out and saw that it was from He Yue -
This Saturday at 2pm, bring your friends to the recording studio at No. 93 Sichuan North Road.
I held the phone tightly and quickly asked Sunai and Xiao Anning who were having dinner: "Sisters, are you free at 2 o'clock on Saturday afternoon?"
"Yes." Sunai and Xiao Anning said in unison.
I was a little delighted, and pointed to my phone and said, "He Yue asked us to go to a recording studio on Saturday. A few days ago, he asked us to contact the music director of Konjac Records. It seems like there must be hope."
Xiao Anning glanced at Sunai, then stared at me with a sly smile and asked, "Shen Muxi, why would He Yue help us?"
I knew what Xiao Anning was thinking, so I quickly explained, "He said that the music director of Konjac Records is looking for fresh blood, and he said he would just give this opportunity to the students of his alma mater, that's it."
"Is it really just that?" Xiao An Ning asked sarcastically.
"That's it, are you guys going or not?" I felt a little embarrassed by Xiao Anning's question.
"Go, go, go." Sunai said, and then tapped Xiao Anning's arm, "Stop bullying me and eat."
Xiao Anning lowered his head to eat and said vaguely, "I'm just curious."
Ignoring Xiao Anning's playfulness, I held my phone and no longer had an appetite for food. I knew that He Yue had helped me so much, and I would definitely owe him a lot of favors.
But I don’t know him at all, we are just landlord and tenant, senior and junior. Is he helping me just because Konjac Records needs fresh blood?
I had doubts in my heart, but I couldn't express them.
Saturday morning.
In order to have a good performance in the recording studio, I specially warmed up my voice.
He Yue was not at home, and when I got up, there was no one in his room. When I went to the kitchen to make breakfast, I found a bowl of mung bean and kelp soup in the microwave.
The mung bean and kelp soup is good for the throat, I guess it was prepared by He Yue.
Everything was arranged, and I called Sunai and Xiao Anning. Sunai's car had been requisitioned by her brother, so we had to squeeze into the subway.
I led the way happily, completely forgetting that I was a person with poor direction.
After transferring twice at the subway station, when I got out of the subway station, I found that the outside looked like a suburb. There were very few vehicles coming and going, and there was not a single taxi to be seen.
"Shen Muxi, what does this mean?" Sunai, who had been looking at the side of the road for a long time, turned around and questioned me.
Confused, I took out my phone and showed it to her, saying, "Baidu Maps says we can get there if we get off here and walk another 1,000 meters."
"Give it to me." Sunai snatched the phone and looked at it, then said, "Sister, Sichuan North Road is a very long road. We have to take Line 3 and get off at Dongbaoxing Road Station. Do you think it's safest to get to Sichuan North Road and get off at Sichuan North Road Station? Are you stupid?"
"That's right. You wanted to see the Yangtze River estuary, but ended up going to its source, the Tanggula Mountains. That means you have to cross most of China." Xiao Anning leaned against the entrance of the subway station and looked at me with a smile.
I glared at her and said, "It's not that I'm bad at geography, it's just that my sense of direction is bad."
Sunai returned the phone to me and said, "Take a taxi. If you're lucky, you should be able to wait for a taxi."
I had found the wrong place and didn't dare to say much, so I could only stand aside obediently.
After a while, the car didn't arrive, but He Yue called me. When I answered the phone, he asked me, "What's wrong? Haven't you arrived yet?"
"I'm lost..." I answered truthfully.
"Where are you? I'll pick you up." He Yue asked.
I looked around and said, "Let me send you the location." Then I hung up the phone and sent the location to He Yue via WeChat.
Xiao Anning watched me hang up the phone, and immediately rushed over to ask, "What's wrong? Is the handsome senior coming to pick us up?"
I nodded, feeling very complicated. Things that had been arranged always fell apart halfway, and every imagined success would fail due to various reasons, and in the end it would involve the people around me and put them in trouble.
