Fan Xiao finally showed up and came to apologize on behalf of Shi Lihua.
A black motorcycle cotton jacket, basic jeans of the same color, and a dark gray scarf wrapped around the neck twice and pressed under the chin. Because of the angle, the jawline and Adam's apple are particularly prominent, revealing the sharpness but also full of color.
He sat astride the motorcycle with one long leg supporting the ground. He looked relaxed but his eyes were deep and compelling. He occasionally glanced at the people passing by. His lazy look and face made people feel itchy.
After smoking a cigarette, You Shulang turned the corner and walked in front of Fan Xiao.
"haven't seen you for a long time."
Fan Xiao's heart suddenly skipped a beat and he tightened his grip on the handlebars. He relaxed for a moment before daring to look at You Shulang's face.
He smiled and replied: "Long time no see, Shulang."
No matter how passionate the relationship was once, now all that's left is a "long time no see".
As expected, these words were so light and weightless that they were blown away by the cold wind.
You Shulang's eyes gently swept across Fan Xiao's face, paused for a moment at a scar on the side of his ear, and then met his eyes: "What do you want from me?"
"I apologize to you on behalf of Shi Lihua. He said nonsense yesterday."
"I know, I won't believe it."
There was a three-second pause before Fan Xiao continued, "I still have to apologize no matter what, and I'm also afraid that you'll think it was me who ordered you to do it."
"You can't do something so low-end."
Fan Xiao lowered his eyes and chuckled: "Don't think I'm so smart. How do you know I haven't thought of tearing him apart with my bare hands in the most direct way?"
He raised his smiling eyes, but they were filled with sadness: "Shu Lang, are you still afraid of me?"
You Shulang hesitated for a moment: "Afraid."
Fan Xiao nodded: "Then I will continue to disappear."
He took a paper bag from the handlebars and handed it to You Shulang: "The fried dumplings you like are cold. Go home and heat them up."
You Shulang looked at the logo on the packaging bag: "From Linshi?"
"I'm on my way to do some work." Fan Xiao stuffed the paper bag to You Shulang. When he withdrew his hand, his cold fingertips happened to pass across his warm palm. The familiar temperature brought out a trembling throbbing in his heart, but as the warmth and coldness gradually separated, it finally turned into melancholy.
Suppressing all his emotions, Fan Xiao rubbed his fingertips and said lazily: "Let's go back, it's too cold."
He started the motorcycle, put on his helmet, and turned the accelerator half a turn, but Fan Xiao heard You Shulang calling his name.
"Fan Xiao," You Shulang hesitated again, glancing at the wound on Fan Xiao's face, "Tiantian was almost hit by a motorcycle a few days ago."
Fan Xiao turned off the engine and frowned.
"The roads are slippery in the winter, so you'd better not ride a motorcycle. Be careful not to hit someone."
After saying that, You Shulang picked up his bag and turned back to the R&D base.
When You Shulang returned to the laboratory, he was told that there were customers waiting. He handed the bag in his hand to Tian Xiaotian and said, "Heat it up for everyone at noon." He took two steps and then stepped back. Tian Xiaotian stared at him for several seconds before he said, "Leave a box for me."
The reception room had a glass door, and I could see Shi Lihua's Chinese-Thai mixed-race face before I got close.
You Shulang leaned against the door and said coldly, "You and Fan Xiao are playing a double act, one on the outside and one on the inside?"
"If you want to sing, you have to have people who like to listen to you." The old-fashioned teaching building still uses radiators for heating. Shi Lihua put his hands on the strip iron pipes, turning his palms over and pressing his backs. "What did he just say to you?"
"Apologize on your behalf."
"Fuck." Shi Lihua retracted his hand and rolled up his sleeves. "You Shulang, sometimes I have to admire you. People like Fan Xiao are now in your hands."
"I should be honored?" You Shulang rolled his eyes. "What does Master Shi want to see me for?"
"I just want to tell you something you don't know." Shi Lihua sat on the sofa and crossed his legs, "About Fan Xiao."
You Shulang looked at his watch and said, "I don't have time to waste on such meaningless things."
"You Shulang, what is meaningful?" Shi Lihua changed her legs and crossed them. "What do you spend your time on? Being affectionate with your new boyfriend?"
You Shulang finally walked into the reception room, closed the door, and turned the blinds, and the room became dark.
"What are you doing?" Shi Lihua put down his legs and moved his butt backwards, "Why are you closing the door?"
You Shulang slowly rolled up the sleeves of his white coat: "Don't you want to tell me something? Let's do some calculations before you do it."
"…What account?"
"You know what's going on. Shouldn't you share the joys and sorrows with Bai Yupeng?"
"I...he...you want to beat me?"
"I wanted to give up at first. I didn't want to waste my energy on you guys anymore, but Master Shi kept coming to me."
You Shulang approached and looked down at Shi Lihua: "Should I do it or should you do it yourself?"
Shi Lihua swallowed his saliva and glanced at the door of the reception room: "How can I get here by myself?"
You Shulang glanced at the ashtray on the coffee table: "See blood."
His Adam's apple moved nervously, Shi Lihua made up his mind and grabbed the ashtray: "Okay, I don't owe you anything."
The posture was strong but the force was weak, and he fell with a wave of his hand, but there was no damage at all. There was only a red mark on Shi Lihua's forehead.
You Shulang leaned forward and met Shi Lihua's eyes: "Don't hide." He straightened the man's jaw and raised his hand to press the red mark, "If one time doesn't work, try a few more times. Mr. Shi is delicate and will bleed quickly."
Shi Lihua suddenly became furious and hit himself hard with the ashtray. Before he felt the pain, blood started flowing.
You Shulang pushed him away, stood up, and looked coldly: "Do you feel wronged? Otherwise, if you hit me, I will send you to someone else's bed."
Shi Lihua took a few tissues to cover his wounds: "I don't feel wronged, I deserved it, okay." He muttered, "The last time I was beaten was when my grandfather kicked me in the butt when I was eight years old."
You Shulang took out a cigarette and put it in his mouth, then walked to the sofa and sat down: "Just say whatever you want to say, I still have five minutes before lunch."
Shi Lihua sneered: "You Shulang, can you die if you don't pretend to be cool?"
You Shulang smiled and said, "Five minutes isn't enough for you to be sentimental on behalf of your buddy? Do you want me to play a piece of Blue and White Porcelain for you?"
Shi Lihua was stunned for a moment, then became angry and said, "One of you doesn't want to talk, and the other doesn't want to listen, so I am redundant."
He covered his head and stood up: "You Shulang, I understand that you hate Fan Xiao, but he did endure a lot for you. He could have gotten away with it, but in order to make you calm down, he would rather sacrifice himself. In order to protect you as the whistleblower, Fan Xiao took the initiative to admit to the public that he was the one who reported it. Sure enough, after he was imprisoned, he was hunted down for three whole months!"
The cigarette between You Shulang's fingers suddenly broke into two pieces: "Fan Xiao is being hunted by someone?"
Shi Lihua snorted, "What did he tell you? That he was in jail for six months? In fact, he was only in jail for three months. After he got out, he was doused with gasoline and stabbed with knives in the street. Later, the police intervened and provided him with protective housing. Fortunately, three months later, the big boss involved in the case died of old age, and the power changed hands. Fan Xiao was finally freed."
"He didn't look for you after he came back. On the one hand, he wanted to fulfill his promise, and on the other hand, he was afraid that those people would not stop and would implicate you."
Shi Lihua took a few steps and put his hand on the door handle: "Also, it was Fan Xiao who asked Tiantian's mother to call you. He knew you were lonely and would like this child. I didn't believe you would adopt Tiantian at the time. Fan Xiao said that if you didn't raise him, he would, because that was the child you saved together."
The blinds suddenly opened, and rays of light cut across Shi Lihua's face. You Shulang held the remote control and raised his eyes to look at the man standing by the door: "Anything else? It's timed out."
Shi Lihua was startled and sneered angrily: "Bodhisattva? This is the Bodhisattva that Fan Xiao mentioned!"
As if he was furious, he covered his head and slammed the door. The huge noise penetrated the entire building.
"Brother You?" Tian Xiaotian looked at the departing figure and carefully put her head in. Her cheeks were puffed up. "The pan-fried dumplings are ready. They are delicious."
The man on the sofa seemed frozen, his slender fingers still pinching the broken cigarette, the sunlight shone through the blinds, and just happened to cast a shadow on his eyes. Except for his unclear eyes, his expression was extremely calm, but...
Tian Xiaotian thought about the adjective, but she was always the last in the liberal arts field, so she just murmured, "It looks... very sad."
"What's wrong, Brother You?" Tian Xiaotian came in holding a box of Shengjian and squatted in front of You Shulang. Looking at this always calm and indifferent man, she asked softly, "Are you unhappy? Did that person just provoke you?"
"No." You Shulang smiled, "I'm not unhappy, and it has nothing to do with him."
He took the shengjian and let the warm aroma wrap himself up.