I was shocked by my own strange thoughts. How could Jian Chen, or Xiao Shitou, hate strawberry pudding? He liked it so much.
However, I waited for two full minutes, and Jian Chen still had no intention of touching the strawberry pudding.
I finally couldn't help but ask curiously: "Why don't you eat?"
"I never drink ice water, and I hate strawberries the most." He pushed his portion of strawberry pudding in front of me and said, "You don't have to force me to say that I like it if you want two servings."
"How could it be! Ice water and strawberry pudding are your favorites." I screamed, frightened by my own unusually sharp voice. I looked at Jian Chen blankly, vaguely feeling that something was wrong, but not knowing what the problem was.
"Who told you that I like ice water and strawberry pudding?" Jian Chen certainly didn't understand why I was so surprised, and teased me, "Shouldn't you do your homework when pursuing someone ?"
But I couldn't laugh at all. How could this happen?
How could the little stone in my memory, who disdained all drinks, had a special liking for ice water and loved strawberries, have a completely opposite attitude towards ice water and strawberries one day?
I know it's definitely not that I remembered his preferences wrongly .
Then, the only explanation is that because of the loss of that memory, his personality and even habits have changed dramatically. But isn't it said that once a person's habits are formed, they will never change?
I looked down and found that my hands were shaking slightly. I didn't know what I was afraid of, but I instinctively wanted to know which things he once liked but no longer liked, and which things he still loved as before.
"How about cornflower blue?" I asked him in a casual conversational tone. "Do you like it?"
"Cornflower blue?" Jian Chen subconsciously repeated my words, looking puzzled.
Apparently, he had long forgotten that it was ever his favorite color.
"What about Slam Dunk? Who is your favorite character in it?"
This time, Jian Chen answered without hesitation: "Of course it's Rukawa Kaede."
I was stunned. Shouldn't he answer Sakuragi Hanamichi?
I clearly remember that when he was still a little stone, he told me seriously on a warm orange afternoon that he liked Sakuragi Hanamichi the most and that he would treat me as well as Sakuragi treated Haruko. I can still recall every word he said at that time, every expression on his face, but now his answer has become Rukawa Kaede.
"What about the white shirt? You don't even like white shirts anymore, do you?" I shouted almost out of control.
"I don't hate it, but I don't particularly like it either." Jian Chen was probably frightened by my yelling and asked in confusion, "What? What's wrong?"
I murmured, "No, nothing..."
But my heart was in a mess.
It was not until this moment that I suddenly understood what I was afraid of. At this moment, the person sitting in front of me, the person I had been looking for for ten years, the person I once swore to be with even at all costs, was no longer the person I remembered.
Now, he is sitting in front of me, but he seems like a stranger. That strange feeling almost suffocates me. If he is no longer himself, then are all my insistences still meaningful?
As soon as this thought flashed through my mind, I killed it immediately. How could I question the significance of looking for small stones?
I comforted myself that I was just confused by that unprecedented and inexplicable fear. I was just afraid that if he had become a brand new Jian Chen, then the little stone in my memory would disappear forever?
But in fact, I know very well that Jian Chen is Xiao Shitou. There is no doubt about this. So, what am I still worried about?
What a waste of time. I laughed at my strange thoughts. When I looked up, I found Jian Chen looking at me with an inquiring look. In his opinion, my behavior just now was simply unbelievable. It would be strange if he didn't wonder.
In order to dispel his doubts and prevent him from knowing the truth, I decided to lie.
So I coughed lightly and said solemnly: "In fact, we have known each other for a long time."
After hearing what I said, he suddenly changed his serious expression and smiled easily. He narrowed his eyes and asked nonchalantly, "How early?"
From his expression, I knew he probably thought I was talking nonsense again.
"When I was six." I said without blinking, "You were almost eight at that time. When I first met you, you were wearing a white cotton shirt. It was you who taught me about the different shades of blue. You said that you liked cornflower blue the best, that you liked ice water, and that your favorite fruit was strawberry. You told me that you liked Sakuragi Hanamichi after you finished reading the incomplete half of Slam Dunk."
"What else?" Jian Chen stared at me and asked with amusement.
"And..." I knew I couldn't continue, so I changed the subject and asked, "Why don't you ask me where I met you?"
Jian Chen tilted his head and asked cooperatively, "So, where did you know me?"
"In a dream," I said.
He made a sound of "Ugh" and suddenly reached across the table to knock on my forehead: "Lying will make your nose grow longer."
I held my aching forehead and sat there in a daze. Thinking back now, my encounter with him when I was six years old was really like a beautiful dream God rewarded me with, real yet illusory.
Seeing that I didn't say anything, Jian Chen said in a muffled voice, "You lied so blatantly and didn't even pay attention to the other party. Is there anyone as stupid as you?"
He was probably regretting that he had hit her so hard, but he couldn't let go of his pride and could only show his concern in his own unique way.
I touched my nose and said, "I'm not lying. If you don't believe me, look, my nose hasn't grown at all. I swear I saw you when I was six years old..."
I thought Jian Chen would hit me again, so I put my hands in front of my forehead and leaned as far as possible against the back of the chair, away from him. However, after waiting for a long time, there was no movement at all.
I couldn't help but be curious, so I took my hand away and looked at him, and found that he was staring at me quietly with a pair of black eyes. Such a deep gaze seemed to see into my heart, and it seemed to be sinking into the depths of my memory...
My heart was pounding with fear and anticipation. Could he have remembered something?
"Ai Banxia!" He suddenly called my name, staring into my eyes without moving, and said, "I seem to have seen you before."
"Where...where?" My throat was hoarse and even my voice changed due to nervousness.
"In a dream." He smiled triumphantly, showing his white teeth, "Same as you. Look, my nose hasn't grown long yet."
"Hey, you're lying." Because my expectations were dashed, I couldn't control myself and yelled at him angrily.
"You lied to me first." He accused me, looking innocent.
I didn't say anything, just looked at him and smiled.
Maybe you will never know that what I said today is true.
But I really didn't lie to you, not at all.
When the first Dragon Purple Smoke Peony blossomed on campus, the attitudes of all the people I knew and didn't know about the relationship between Jian Chen and I had evolved from disbelief at the beginning to sincere blessings or silent acceptance in the end. Even Jian Chen gradually acquiesced to my behavior of following him like a little tail, whether I had something to do or not.
The first time Jian Chen took the initiative to ask me out was on a sunny Saturday morning. When I saw his text message, I couldn't help but cheer out loud and jumped up to change my clothes.
After changing my clothes and rushing downstairs excitedly, I happened to run into Aisi who had just woken up.
He looked me up and down at my clothes, and probably saw something from my expression, and said to me with nasal contempt: "Ai Banxia, ​​you should be low-key. I've never seen you so active when you went out with me before."
I was in a good mood and didn't bother with him. I jumped down the last step and waved goodbye to him.
Then, I heard him say behind me: "Don't rush back. I'm with mom."
This guy always finds ways to make my nose sore unexpectedly.
When I walk out of the house, the warm sunshine shines on my body, making me feel comfortable and relaxed.
The warm yellow glow of early summer makes everything lovely.
The leaves were so green that they seemed to glow, the white clouds in the blue sky looked like simple smiling faces, and even the faces of passers-by looked friendly.
I smile at everyone like a happy fool.
Half an hour later, before Jian Chen's car stopped in front of a famous brand store, the store manager and the staff came out to greet him, calling out in unison, "Young Master Chen."
I glanced at the window and found that this was a store specializing in women's dresses, so I turned to Jian Chen and said, "I don't need a dress."
"It was prepared for 'White Sands Night', not specifically for you."
Jian Chen glanced at me, and as he walked into the store, he turned to the store manager beside him and instructed, "Choose two dresses for her to wear for the performance. They must be simple in style."
The store manager nodded, looked at me, smiled friendly, and said, "You are pretty, and you will look good in any style..."
"Which eye of yours saw that she is beautiful?" Jian Chen suddenly turned sideways and interrupted the manager coldly.
I raised my head in dissatisfaction and said, "Everyone saw it, except you. This is called not recognizing Mount Tai."
This made the store manager, who was a little embarrassed because Jian Chen interrupted him, laugh. I secretly looked at Jian Chen and found that there was also a hint of smile in his narrow eyes that he couldn't hide.
Ten minutes later, I followed the store manager to the VIP changing room.
She handed me a small white dress in her hand and said in a friendly manner, "Mr. Chen speaks like that. In fact, he is very kind to people. You can see that he is very special to you."
I smiled and said, "You don't have to say anything good for him."
She winked playfully and said, "Heaven and earth can bear witness to my statement. I am telling the truth. Young Master Chen is indeed very special to you."
I took the dress and asked, "Why do you say that ?" In fact, I was still hoping that what she said was true.
She thought for a moment and said, "At least you are the first girl he brought to my shop."
I deliberately tried to find fault: "Maybe he took the other person to another store."
"Hey!" she exclaimed softly, pointing to her name tag. "How can you compare my store with other stores? Don't tell me you don't know who I am."
After hearing her say this, I looked at her name tag carefully, and then my eyes widened involuntarily. Her name was exactly the same as that of the famous Chinese female designer in the fashion industry.
Seeing my reaction, she smiled with satisfaction, shrugged and said, "Yes, it's me, please believe your eyes."
"Okay." I swallowed and said, "Mr. Designer, other people's stores really can't compare to yours."
After all, the clothes she designed were only made to order and never mass-produced and sold.
"Please call me Susan." She looked at me and smiled. "Wouldn't you like to say something else?"
"Okay, Susan." I felt embarrassed by her look, and couldn't help swallowing my saliva. "Jian Chen, uh, seems to be a little bit special to me. A little bit, just a little bit, it doesn't mean anything."
She burst into laughter and said in a deliberately cute voice, "Children with twisted personalities are the cutest."
I looked up at the sky in silence. Birds of a feather flock together. Like Jian Chen, I like to play tricks on people. But I couldn't help but feel secretly happy because of her words.
It turns out that I am really a special person in Jian Chen's heart. It is not just my wishful thinking, but others also think so.
For the next hour, I was like a puppet, letting them dress me up in one beautiful dress after another, turning me into a beautiful but soulless Barbie doll. After each dress, I was taken out and paraded in front of Jian Chen.
The worst thing is that every time Jian Chen takes a look, he immediately shakes his head and denies . Then, I have to continue to let them control me.
I was exhausted.
Finally, Jian Chen finally chose two small dresses, one white and one green.
Jian Chen has first-rate taste. I stood in front of the mirror wearing that light green dress and almost couldn’t recognize myself in the mirror.
She has short, slightly curly black hair and a small face that looks as white as jade against the light green dress that looks like the tips of young grass. The long pleated georgette skirt moves in the wind, and she seems like she will float up at any moment, like an elf walking on flowers and willows in the mountains.
While helping me mark the places that needed to be revised, Susan gave Jian Chen a thumbs up and said with a double meaning, "Mr. Chen, you have a unique vision."
Jian Chen glanced at me and said indifferently, "The clothes are okay."
If the clothes are fine, why not the people?
For the sake of the beautiful clothes, I won't bother with him for now.
After Susan marked the sizes and told me to "come pick it up in two weeks", Jian Chen and I walked out of the store. The sun was shining outside, just as bright as my mood at the moment.
As I laughed, I glanced at Jian Chen, only to find that he suddenly stopped and stared coldly in a certain direction.
Following his gaze, I saw a boy holding a camera not far away, pressing the shutter button towards Jian Chen and I. Jian Chen subconsciously pulled me behind him.
The boy came over and said with a smile: "Excuse me, can I take some pictures for you?"
I leaned my head out from behind Jian Chen and saw the boy’s work ID hanging on his chest - it turned out that he had met a magazine photographer.
"No." Jian Chen narrowed his eyes, taking precautions, "Give me your camera. I want to delete the photos I just took."
The boy immediately became nervous when he heard Jian Chen's firm tone.
He quickly protected his camera and explained, "It's like this, our magazine is doing a special issue on couple street photos. I saw that the outfits you two wore today are really in line with the essence of couple outfits, which really fits our theme, so I couldn't help but snap a few photos just now..."
After he said that, I noticed that Jian Chen and I were dressed in the "essence of couple outfits."
He was wearing a navy blue motorcycle suit, while I was wearing dark blue overalls and even my shoes were black studded boots.
Is this considered telepathy?
I was in an extremely good mood, and based on the phrase "it really captures the essence of couple outfits", I decided to plead for the boy.
I quietly pulled Jian Chen's sleeve and said, "Forget it, we didn't get a frontal shot anyway. I know there's a really good coffee shop nearby, why don't we go have a drink? I'm a little thirsty."
Jian Chen looked back at me, his expression slightly relaxed.
Unexpectedly, the boy pushed further and said, "Why don't I take a frontal photo of the two of you? It will definitely be selected as the 'Best Couple' photo of this issue."
"Who said she and I are a couple?" Jian Chen suddenly got angry at the boy.
I stood behind him, stuck out my tongue at the boy with great sympathy, and silently said in my heart, please forgive this "iceberg face" who gets upset when he is shy.
"Is that so? That's perfect!" The boy winked at me, looking ready to die. He pulled a passerby and said, "Sir, could you and this lady pretend to be a couple so I can take a photo of you? If your photo is selected as the best, our company will give you a newest tablet..."
I followed the boy's lead and nodded my head like a chick pecking at rice. The passerby hesitated for a moment and then nodded.
Jian Chen, who had been holding back for a long time, finally exploded. He pulled me to his side and said, "Can you just pretend to be a couple? If you want to film it, you have to film it for real."
The boy raised his camera and smiled triumphantly: "Wouldn't it be better if you just admitted it earlier..."
Jian Chen's face turned pale and he said nothing. I secretly smacked my lips, it was really rare for the "Iceberg Face" to meet a master.
During the photo shoot, Jian Chen held my hand the whole time.
Even after the photo shoot, he didn't let go. Instead, he held my fingers and walked hand in hand with me on the busy street as if no one was around.
My heart was beating fast and quickly, and my palms were gradually sweating. It seemed that Jian Chen's palms were sweating even more than mine, but neither of us let go of each other's hands.
The midday sun has revealed the heat of summer, making people feel dizzy with happiness. In a trance, I even have a slight illusion that Jian Chen will hold my hand like this until the end of time.
I looked up, squinted my eyes, looked at the sun hanging in the sky and said, "It would be great if the sun never sets today."
"Hmm?" Jian Chen stopped and looked at me.
"I just feel it's not good." I sighed. This way "today" will never pass.
"Idiot!" He patted my head with his other hand, his eyes gentle and unlike his real self, "It will still rise tomorrow."
Thick clouds floated over, blocking the sun. I felt lonely for no reason and murmured, "But tomorrow is tomorrow."
I like today because you are holding my hand now.
Tomorrow, who can guarantee what will happen tomorrow?
Jian Chen seemed to be thinking about something, and he looked up at the sky like me.
After a long while, he held my hand tighter, his eyes still fixed on the distant sky, and said, "Tomorrow will only be better than today."
It was like a trickle of water slowly flowing through the place that had been frozen for many years. The hard ice layer suddenly cracked because of a little warmth, and then the warm sunlight seeped in continuously from the crack. All the ice layers collapsed at that moment and turned into a warm stream, as if it was about to burst out from the heart.
I closed my eyes and felt the speed of the wind, the beat of my heart, and the lines on his palms.
When I opened my eyes again, the young man with long eyebrows and eyes was still holding my hand and standing beside me. I was sure that this was not just an illusory dream.
And he said tomorrow will only be better than today.
I saw it as a promise from Him to me.