One hour.
Two hours.
…
It was completely dark, and the night sky became bleak under the flashing neon lights. The cold night wind blew, and the whole body was chilled.
The traffic on the road was endless, and the sound of whistles filled my ears, making me frown. At the night market stalls across the street, groups of men and women were laughing and playing, and the singing from the KTV was faintly heard, a little far away.
Under the roadside trees, a worker in a sallow cleaning uniform walked by with a hunched back, pushing a garbage truck, chewing a steamed pancake with his free hand.
It’s just one street, but the scenes are completely different.
The bright lights of this city cannot illuminate the darkness and vicissitudes in the ditches.
The street lamps above her head emitted a dim light. Xia Chan sat on the edge of the flower bed on the sidewalk, looking at the hustle and bustle of traffic in front of her and looking in the direction where Monet left.
Suddenly I felt something was different.
Although she still disliked his bad behavior, it was hard to distinguish between truth and falsehood in this world, what was determined could be changed , and what was chosen could be abandoned. What standards were there?
Just like now, she was like a fool, waiting for a rogue who had driven her crazy countless times. And a second ago, she was still trying to get rid of him.
With a bitter smile in his heart, his indifferent eyes gradually became clear.
Fortunately, after four hours and a dozen sneezes, Monet finally appeared. In the shadows of a row of tall trees, he walked towards her step by step, with obvious surprise in his eyes.
When he saw that it was really Xia Chan, he grinned, his smile was like a crescent moon, making the stars and the moon pale in comparison.
He jumped in front of her and said excitedly, "You, you're still here? Didn't you leave?"
"always there."
Monet smiled foolishly.
"Oh, by the way." He hurriedly took out his wallet from his jeans pocket and held it in front of her, showing off proudly, "Isn't it great? It's still hot. Here you go."
Xia Chan took it hurriedly and went straight to the innermost compartment. When she saw the old two-inch photo in her hand, she breathed a sigh of relief.
Just when she wasn't completely relieved, she felt a chill on her fingertips and the photo was snatched away.
"What treasure? Let me see..." Monet turned around and moved closer to the light to see it more clearly.
Xia Chan got anxious and jumped up to grab it back, shouting in dissatisfaction: "Give it back to me."
Before she could finish her next sentence, she stared at his bruised mouth and swollen cheeks, her heart tightening. She hadn't noticed it before because of the dim light, but now she found that there were scars on his face, neck, and arms, and the scars were still fresh.
She turned his face and looked at it carefully, and asked, "How did you do that? How did you get the things back?"
Monet's expression froze slightly as she stroked his cheek.
She turned her face away with a dignified look and said, "Hey, hey, hey, men and women shouldn't touch each other, you're taking advantage of me!"
Xia Chan's face was covered with a layer of coldness. She stared at him for a long while, and spat out a few words from between her teeth: "Tell me the truth."
He didn't say anything, his eyes wandered around casually, with no intention of explaining at all.
"Monet." Xia Chan called his name coldly, indicating that she was really about to get angry.
"Okay, okay, I'll tell you, I'm afraid of you." Monet looked at her helplessly, and said evasively, "Ah, well... I just used some underworld tricks, and you women don't understand."
"What kind of underworld tricks?"
Perhaps her tone was too aggressive, Monet felt a little uncomfortable, looking into her clear eyes, he continued: "Thieves, beggars, pickpockets, these people have organizations and territories. The man in charge of this territory is called Black Dragon. I just happen to know him, but we had some conflicts in the past, so today I came to ask him for help."
"Did he hit you?" Xia Chan asked.
"How could the boss do it himself? It was his assistant who beat him." Monet looked at her quietly and comforted her, "Be good, it's okay, just treat it as a tickle, I have a thick skin."
As smart as she was, she knew that Monet had something to say. If he didn't say it, it would be useless for her to force him.
Staring at the wounds on his body and looking at his heartless smile, she suddenly felt sad and her eyes ached, tears welled up in them but couldn't fall.
She unzipped her schoolbag and took out a goose yellow silk handkerchief. This was something Wu Zhizi had brought back for her during her last trip, but she had left it in her schoolbag and never used it.
"Lower your head," she whispered.
Monet bent down obediently and said without thinking: "Don't hit me, my head still hurts, it will be broken if you hit me later."
Xia Chan hummed, took a handkerchief and gently wiped the sand from the wound on his face, and said in a hoarse voice: "Thank you."
Monet just smiled and let her play with him quietly . He grimaced but didn't cry out in pain when his wound was pulled. He looked at her with his deep dark eyes and was absent-minded for a moment.
This was the first time she was so close to him.
This was the first time they had lived together peacefully.
His body was in pain, but his heart was sweet, thinking that this punishment was not too severe.
The Xia Chan in front of him was calm, gentle and quiet, which made him happy.
There is something missing and something more between them, and it doesn't seem to be a bad feeling.
Unexpectedly, Monet snatched the photo away again this time.
That night they ate two bowls of plain noodles together. Monet took out a crumpled fifteen yuan from his pocket and paid in advance. He said very seriously, "You owe me the money for the meal first. The photo is my deposit."
After hearing this, Xia Chan reached for her wallet , but Monet held down her hand that was about to take out the money and said, "I won't take it."
She felt like she had something stuck in her throat and was so depressed that she wanted to bang her head against the wall.
Before she finished her noodles, she threw the chopsticks in her hand onto the table in front of him: "Hey!"
He picked it up enthusiastically, handed it to her, and said with a sly smile: "Don't be angry, it's not like I won't give it back to you."
She glared at him: "When will it be returned?"
"It depends on my mood." Monet shook his head.
This guy doesn't play by the rules at all.
When they parted in the evening, Monet gentlemanly walked her to the door of her house, stood on tiptoe to look around her house, patted her arm, and said, "See you tomorrow, good night."
Seeing that he really had no intention of returning the photo, Xia Chan stepped on his foot with all her strength and said with a sinister smile, "Good night!"
Monet hugged her legs in pain, hopping around like a frog, and angrily shouted, "You are such an ungrateful, vicious woman!"
When she reached the entrance of the corridor, she turned around, glanced at him, and said seriously, "Your feet are slippery."
As if he was so angry that he was hurt internally, the noisy sound behind him suddenly stopped.
Xia Chan smiled with satisfaction and walked towards her door without looking back.
Xia Chan took out the key and opened the door. In the dim corridor, the key turned in the keyhole, making a crisp metallic collision sound. When she went in, Ren Di was sitting on the sofa in his pajamas watching TV. He didn't see Wu Zhizi.
She frowned, looked around the kitchen and bathroom, and asked, "Is my mother not here?"
Since she entered the room, Ren Di's eyes followed her. He squinted his eyes and nodded: "No, she has a sister who is having a party and playing all night."
"You didn't accompany her?" Xia Chan's tone was cold.
"I just got back from working overtime tonight. I'm tired." Ren Di put his hands in his trouser pockets, lay down on the sofa, picked up the remote control and changed the channel.
Xia Chan had no say in this.
She walked into the bedroom, took out a change of pajamas from the closet, and went to the bathroom to take a shower without saying a word.
The warm water flows from the top of the head through the neck and back. It is so warm that it makes people forget the coldness in their hearts.
The scratched part of her arm hurt a little. Under the pale light, Xia Chan looked at the person in the bathroom mirror. She had wet black hair, a delicate face, and red, plump lips that were slightly pursed in a defiant way. Under her furrowed brows, her cold eyes were watery. The rising heat made that face look unreal.
This is herself. How long has it been since she looked at herself carefully? An ordinary family, a mediocre life, and a fairly outstanding appearance. She has always been running for other things, but what has she gained so far?
She was lost in thought when suddenly the door lock was twisted, making a frightening sound.
"Who? What are you doing!"
He asked very calmly, but there was a hint of panic in his tone that he was trying to hide.
Now there were only her and Ren Di in the room. Who was the person outside the door? He didn't knock or ask, but just turned the lock, which showed that he wanted to break in. If it wasn't Ren Di, why didn't he say anything? What happened outside? If it was Ren Di, he opened the door even though he knew she was taking a shower. What did he want to do?
She was a little panicked.
Every possibility is chilling.
Fortunately, the door was locked, and the person outside gave up after trying a few times. Xia Chan hurriedly took a towel to dry the water on her body, tied her hair casually with a butterfly clip, and then quickly put on her underwear and pajamas, and continued to pretend to shower.
She tiptoed closer to the door and asked bravely, "Is that Uncle Ren?"
Ren Di's thick and hoarse voice came from outside: "Xia Chan, uncle threw his cell phone in the bathroom, please help me hand it out, I have something urgent to do."
She listened to the voice and felt vaguely frightened as if by reflex.
I glanced at the shelf on the side and saw a black mobile phone lying on it.
But his purpose was too suspicious, and Wu Zhizi was not at home, so who knows what might happen. Xia Chan recalled the discomfort he made her feel when she first met this man, his look when she entered the door last time she came home, and the fact that he later sent fruit to her room intentionally or unintentionally. He seemed to never knock on the door, and since Wu Zhizi was there, she didn't think much about it. But since he moved in, Xia Chan would wrap herself tightly in her pajamas every time after taking a shower.
Not to mention the adoptive father, even the biological father and daughter had to avoid suspicion. There was only one reason why Ren Di was so open about it, he was lustful and wanted to take advantage of her, but he had the will but not the courage.
Wu Zhizi said that the reason for Ren Di's divorce was that he had an ambiguous relationship with a young woman. Thinking of this, the accusation became more and more confirmed.
After figuring this out, Xia Chan immediately considered a foolproof plan. She definitely couldn't tear her face off, lest he bite her back. She also couldn't go along with him, which would only make him feel apprehensive.
Fortunately, she brought her cell phone in. Xia Chan first sent a text message to Ella, briefly explaining her situation and asking her to act out a scene with her.
"Did you hear uncle talking?" the person outside the door reminded her.
She was startled and quickly replied: "Hey, I heard it, my hands are all wet..."
The life-saving cell phone rang suddenly. Xia Chan turned off the shower in a hurry and deliberately let Ren Di hear their conversation: "Hello? Ella...ah? Broke up? Don't cry! Don't cry first...Okay, okay, I'll be there right away! What? You've come to see me? Are you almost there? Sure, I'll come out now! Wait for me, five minutes..."
After hanging up the phone, Xia Chan clenched her fists and forced herself to calm down. She looked down at her pajamas, and after thinking about it, she felt uneasy, so she put on her dirty school uniform jacket outside.
Looking at the door lock, she gritted her teeth, opened the door, and walked towards the room with her head down, saying anxiously, "My friend is in trouble, I have to rush over soon, Uncle Ren, you can take the phone yourself."
Fearing that something unexpected might happen, Xia Chan took her schoolbag from her room, stuffed a set of clothes into it, let her hair down, and went to the entrance to change her shoes. She looked anxious, "Don't wait for me. I'm sleeping at my friend's place tonight. I'm afraid she'll be upset. I'm leaving. Bye."
Ren Di watched her rushing out the door like the wind. When he wanted to speak, he was responded by a loud slam of the door closing.
After she went out, she leaned against the wall until her legs became weak. She didn't dare to stay, so she wiped the cold sweat from her forehead and ran outside to hail a car.
Ella took her in for three nights, and no matter what she asked, Xia Chan just shook her head.
Ella gave her her private space, knowing that she was in a bad mood. When she wanted to talk, Ella would talk to her, and when she didn't want to talk, Ella would play games online. During breaks, she would go to the playground to take a walk, and after school, she would take her shopping and eating, just to make her laugh.
She hadn't been home for a week. When Wu Zhizi called, she just said that Ella was sick and she was taking care of her and would not be back for the time being.
That little home is so suffocating now.
There are some things she can't say, and can't say. For so many years, Wu Zhizi's emotions were frozen and stagnant. After meeting Ren Di, Wu Zhizi's mental state improved a lot. She had expectations and thoughts, and she was like spring grass after winter.
She never asked anything of Xia Chan, and worked hard in the factory to raise Xia Chan for more than ten years. Wu Zhizi gave her everything in material terms. Compared with other mothers, Wu Zhizi might not be the best, but for Xia Chan, she was grateful enough for this life. Wu Zhizi deserved great happiness for the rest of her life, and she could not destroy her blueprint for love.
At half past five, Ella came to find Xia Chan, mysteriously saying that there was a party, and dragged her to the New Mike KTV on the street outside the school.
Ella asked the front desk clerk for the box number, and took Xia Chan through many twists and turns to door 122, and pushed the door open and went in.
The DJ's dance music was blasting, and Gu Tong was dancing in a state of self-absorption. She was wearing a cool off-shoulder sling dress covered with silver sequins, and her two slender white legs were exposed under her denim hot pants, twisting to the music.
Seeing Xia Chan and the others coming in, she threw them a wink, walked over to turn off the music and turn on the lights.
Gu Tong stretched out her arms, hugged one girl in each hand, gave each of them a passionate kiss on the cheek, and said, "Hey, girls are here, sister has been waiting for you for a long time ."
Xia Chan looked at her own canvas shoes, then at Gu Tong's ten-centimeter black high-heeled sandals and ten toes painted with bright nail polish, and thought that they were not in the same season.
"Go order some songs." Gu Tong pushed her forward.
Ella took out some snacks from her bag. Gu Tong closed the door, put the microphone in Xia Chan's hand, and then sat down on the sofa. She took out a cigarette as usual, but put it back when she thought of something.
Gu Tong raised her lips and smiled: "I've been liking smoking recently and almost forgot you were here."
Ella rushed over and hugged Gu Tong's arm and said coquettishly: "As long as Sister Tong is happy, it's okay to draw as much as you want! "
Xia Chan also indicated that everything was fine.
Gu Tong smiled and didn't answer. She walked behind Xia Chan and deleted all the previous songs. She came back, leaned over the table, picked up a bag of melon seeds, tore it open, sat back on the sofa and started eating them by herself. She asked Ella if she wanted to eat some, and Ella shook her head.
The huge LCD screen showed a playlist scrolling, and Xia Chan selected a few songs. Ella ran over, knelt on the sofa, and started to request songs. Gu Tong turned off the glaring headlights, switched the lights to singing mode, and looked at them with a smile.
The first song was from Xia Chan. She selected a song that she liked very much recently.

I've loved you for six years
You better be ready
I don't plan to stop everything
I mean I don't have any volunteer
…

The door suddenly opened, and it was Jiang Huainan.
He stood by the door, watching her singing the song "Waste" with great emotion. Although the light in the box was dim, he could still tell at a glance that she had lost weight.
Xia Chan stood in the middle of the room, holding the microphone tightly in both hands, looking up at him with her head slightly tilted back. The colorful lights flashed across her face and across Jiang Huainan's eyes, and her voice was lingering and sad.

…
It doesn't matter, you don't have to give me a chance
I still have a lifetime to waste.
I just have this little bit of stubbornness left
My advantages
…
Even if I have to spend another ten years with you, it doesn't matter
My love remains unchanged
Even I admire myself
…

Her voice trembled badly at the end, and she couldn't find the tune for the chorus. She put down the microphone, looked up and smiled at him, but tears kept flowing down her cheeks.
When Ella wanted to come over, Gu Tong had already walked to Xia Chan's side with a tissue in her hand. Her soft hands wiped away her tears, and she scolded her distressedly in her ear: "Why are you crying? Have a good talk."
"Let's go outside..." Ella threw down the microphone and followed Gu Tong out. When passing by Xia Chan, she said humbly, "Xia Xia, don't blame me. I just want you to face yourself and be happier..." She lowered her head and closed the door.
It turned out that this was a "trap" set by Ella and Gu Tong.
But they didn't know that she and Jiang Huainan were already in a dead end.
She doesn't have a life to waste, she still has her own stubbornness, even if it takes another ten years, the result will remain the same.
She and Jiang Huainan had known each other for almost eight years, and Ella was the one they started playing together later.
Xia Chan often follows Jiang Huainan, and Ella likes to pester Xia Chan. When the three of them are together, Jiang Huainan acts as the flower protector.
She knew Ella, who was simple-minded and suitable for sharing happiness. It was not that Ella didn't care about her own affairs, but she couldn't find a suitable way. So when she saw that Xia Chan had problems in her family and relationship, Ella felt that Jiang Huainan was the key. She invited Gu Tong to calm the situation and asked Jiang Huainan to help, so that she could feel at ease.
Jiang Huainan came in and greeted Xia Chan, saying, "Long time no see."
Xia Chan calmed down as if nothing had happened, exchanged a few words with him with a smile, and didn't say much.
At that time, she felt that there was a wide river between her and Jiang Huainan. She had no ferry, and he had no heart to cross the river. They were both watching the fire from the other side of the river, and eventually they lost each other in the turbulent torrent.
That night, Xia Chan went to Gu Tong's rental house. Gu Tong used both soft and hard tactics to get Xia Chan to talk, but Xia Chan just smiled and said that she was an adolescent girl with emotional setbacks, and did not reveal anything about Wu Zhizi. Gu Tong saw that she was very tired and did not embarrass her, and asked her to rest early.
The next morning, Gu Tong was still asleep. Xia Chan made breakfast, left a farewell note, and went to school.
Halfway through the journey, the cell phone rang. After Xia Chan answered it, the person on the other end remained silent.
She looked at her phone wondering.
At this time, a decadent and cold plea came from inside: "Axia, come and accompany me..."
Monet's voice sounded sad . Xia Chan didn't know what happened to him.
The morning breeze blew towards her with a cool breath, blowing across her hand that was tightly holding the phone. She stared blankly at the few broken scarlet petals on the ground and replied slowly: "Okay..."
She went directly to the nearest bus stop and took the bus to No. 78 Ziwei North Road. The alley was not as quiet as last time. A group of people were standing in front of the breakfast shop buying buns. The newspaper delivery uncle rode a small electric bike to stuff newspapers into the cracks of each door. The spotted dog was running around, wagging its tail and barking.
Xia Chan walked quickly to the house she had been to last time, and rushed to the basement music room, calling Monet's name.
After going down the stairs, she was stunned by the scene in front of her - the music room looked like it had been ransacked, and it was in a mess. The musical instruments were thrown on the floor, the photos on the wall were ripped horribly, the wooden floor was covered with broken cups, mirrors, and vases, and there were scattered books and a pile of A4 papers in the corner. The wooden guitar under the window was broken into two pieces, and a few crushed pink flowers were tilted to the side, lonely and like a silent accusation.
She spotted Monet curled up on the lazy sofa, hugging his knees with his back bent, looking very painful.
"Monet——" Xia Chan ran over and squatted in front of him.
His pale cheeks were covered with sweat. After hearing Xia Chan's voice, he slightly opened his eyes, forced out a smile that he thought was handsome, and said weakly, "You really came."
Xia Chan watched his reaction quietly, looked around, and glared at him: "Are you in trouble? Did you owe usury or rob money? This place has become like this."
"Am I that kind of person?" Monet frowned and looked at her with disgust.
"Isn't it?" Xia Chan said with a smile.
Monet covered his forehead with his hands, his eyes full of pity: "Don't be angry with me, I feel bad now."
Seeing him unwell for the first time, Xia Chan smiled particularly brightly: "Congratulations, you got your comeuppance."
Monet's voice was as soft as a mosquito's hum, without any of his usual arrogance. He looked at the house that he couldn't bear to look at, and said seriously: "Help me clean up the house and go drink with me."
"Why?" Xia Chan raised her head.
"I'll return the photos to you," he said.
Xia Chan said calmly: "How do I know if you are lying to me?"
"How do you know if you don't try?" Monet curled his lips.
"Aren't you sick?" Xia Chan looked at his pale face with interest.
"I'm fine, since I saw you." He smiled frivolously.
"Deal." Xia Chan nodded, thinking that if he changed his mind, she would definitely tear his head off. She first notified Ella to ask for leave from school for her, then rolled up her sleeves and cleaned the room.
Thirty minutes later, Monet took her to the scenic area along the river.
Monet sat cross-legged on the viewing platform, like a Buddha, staring at the sky in a daze.
Xia Chan ran over to him with a bunch of bottles of wine in her arms , put them down, and knocked him down with her elbow. She said unhappily, "Ask a girl to help you run errands. Do you have any shame?"
Hearing the noise behind him and seeing Xia Chan sitting next to him, he gloated and said, "I have no shame, I want you——"
She raised her fist.
"Beer." He pointed to the pile of beer with a smile and quickly bit off the caps of two bottles with his teeth.
"Stop talking nonsense and give me a photo after you finish drinking." Xia Chan took a bottle of beer while sitting on the ground, holding the guardrail in front of her with her hands, and her legs dangling in the air.
"That's great." Monet gave her a thumbs up, raised the bottle, looked at her, and said, "Cheers to freedom!"
Xia Chan touched the bottle to him and snorted, "Cheers to the rogue!"
He smiled, then lifted the bottle and drank the wine, the orange liquid gurgling down his throat. Xia Chan was not to be outdone, so she slowly picked up the bottle and swallowed a few gulps.
Monet drank a little too much, gulping down the entire bottle in one breath, putting the empty bottle on the ground, opening another, and shouting happily: "Cheers to the rogue meeting Axia!"
Xia Chan still had two-thirds of the wine left in her hand. She stared at him speechlessly and raised the bottle perfunctorily. Monet raised his narrow eyebrows and drank another bottle in silence.
When he mechanically opened the third bottle, Xia Chan looked at him a little worriedly and said, "Are you okay?"
"It's okay." Monet chuckled.
When Monet opened the fourth bottle without any pressure, he stood up suddenly, wiped his mouth casually, threw the bottle into the middle of the river, raised his arms and shouted: "Cheers to Monet's love for Xia Chan——"
Monet likes Xia Chan...
I like Xia Chan...
He turned around and walked towards her step by step, staring at her with his dark and gentle eyes. She was completely surrounded by his slightly tipsy breath.
This hunting look and movement reminded her of the first time they met. At that time, he also approached her so forcefully, and smiled mischievously with his thin lips: "Are you looking like you want to thank me with a kiss?"
Time flies, it's been so long.
Memories and reality overlapped and intertwined. She looked at the handsome face in front of her, and his words just now echoed in her mind, her cheeks burning.
She was still lost in thought, and her lips suddenly felt hot. He put his arm around her shoulders and kissed her. The cold wind mixed with his warm breath lingered on her face, and she heard a gentle and lingering confession: "Axia, I love you."
like you very much.
I've always liked you.
After meeting you, my sorrows and joys are all about you, and my dreams are all about you. Since the future is unpredictable, I will kiss the love that has been opened for the rest of my life.
Time is the witness and the future is the deadline.