In the empty street, a gray-haired old man carried a large paper bag containing baguettes and parsley, and a large bottle of milk, apparently just returned from the supermarket, and walked leisurely past the side, the sound of trivial footsteps making the street more and more peaceful. Pen & Fun & Pavilion www.biquge.info

Two figures standing downstairs in the apartment, a man and a woman.

The man is tall and slender, wearing a black suit with a white shirt, with only a few strokes to outline the cold and elegant temperament, such as the sword-out eyebrows and deep and distinct facial features, wearing a pair of black-framed glasses, and his unsmiling expression adds a touch of abstinence/lust style, which is prohibitive.

The woman is petite, only to the man's chest, the sky blue shirt and dark gray skirt look dignified and virtuous, but not too aggressive, the soles of the feet are unexpectedly stepping on a pair of black flat shoes, less sharp of high heels, but more and more approachable, with a faint warm smile on the face, like a spring / wind.

The woman turned her head and saw Lan Li who had stopped, and waved her hand gently, "Long time no see, Lan Li." ”

Lan Li took the cigarette from his mouth, his eyes fell on the man next to him, and his eyebrows were slightly raised. Matthew shrugged his shoulders innocently and spread his hands to show his innocence.

The woman standing next to her still smiled elegantly, as if she hadn't seen the eye contact between Lan Li and Matthew at all, and said softly, "It's raining again in London for the past two days, and the weather is not very good. It's hard to get a little sun today, and the day after tomorrow is also sunny, it's really been a long time. Autumn in London is always nostalgic, isn't it?"

The elegant woman in front of her was called Elf-Hall, another sister of Lan Li and the eldest child in the family, a year older than Arthur, twenty-eight years old this year.

Elph is a legend in the Hall family, she holds on to her dreams and follows her family's expectations to become a surgeon. Although he is still "showing up" in the eyes of his elders, and although he is still "not suitable for marriage" in high society, at least the professional image of the surgeon has been recognized enough.

What's more, compared to Edith and Lan Li, Elf has to be said to be a role model, in the eyes of George and Elizabeth.

However, if Lan Lili were to evaluate Elph, he would say: This is another Elizabeth Hall.

The filming of "Love Goes Crazy" had been going on for four days, and if the day he arrived was included, he had already been in London for a full five days, and Elf was late. But what's even more interesting is that George and Elizabeth have no news at all, and Arthur is in the dust, as if he hadn't returned to London at all.

Even after meeting, Elf's demeanor overlapped with Lan Li's memory again, and it didn't seem to have changed at all.

Advance and retreat appropriately, be gentle and decent, and have good etiquette. The opening dialogue mentions the weather, as if the two had only met yesterday, without the slightest rustiness, nor deliberately mentioning sensitive/sensitive topics such as actors and going home, everything is so appropriate, but Lan Li can't refuse to respond.

"Edinburgh is stunning this season and you should go there on holiday to see it. Lan Li responded with a smile, and then walked over, put the cigarette back into his mouth, and then held the cigarette case in his hand, Elf looked down at the cigarette brand in Lan Li's hand, and then shook his head.

This small action made Lan Li uncontrollable. Déjà vu, everything is so familiar, perhaps, he really never left.

"Are you going to go on holiday to Edinburgh?" said Elph with a smile, "I thought you would want to stay in London, and Edith will be back next week." You know, the liveliest time of the year. ”

London Fashion Week. Edith is bound to be incredibly busy, and the next month is going to be very busy, to be precise.

Lan Li shrugged his shoulders, not expecting to answer, but Elf didn't care, and continued, "How long will we stay in London this time? How's it going, how is the trip going, are you still satisfied?"

Travel, as if he was just a long trip to New York, is not an outrageous challenge to the dream of being an actor.

"Nice, everything. "I went to New York to look at it, and then I stayed in Los Angeles for a while. At least, the weather was better than in London. ”

"Of course, of course. Elph nodded slightly, her expression still gentle, as if she was undergoing a delicate surgical operation, and she had to ensure that her emotions were stable and not fluctuated too much, "After returning to London, have you seen any dramas worth recommending? You always have a unique eye for drama, and the West End seems to be lively again." ”

Faced with such a question, Lan Li almost burst out laughing, but after many years of internal strength, he couldn't help it, "No, I haven't had a chance to go to the West End of London yet. I don't know if Matthew told you, I've been busy at work lately. ”

"Oh, work. Elph lifted her chin, her white and graceful neck line like a swan, without the slightest blemish, "Yes, Matthew mentioned it to me. Matthew and Lan Li exchanged glances, and both of them had a mocking smile in their eyes, "However, I have just boldly purchased an item from the Sonachin antique shop, a terracotta cow made in the fifth century AD, and I am admiring it, so much so that I have forgotten this detail." ”

"You know, it's so busy with work that I have almost no leisure activities right now. I had to find something to relax and unwind. I used to be a keen reader, but now I find that reading doesn't seem to ease my emotions either. I would have liked to go to the West End to see some theatre, but I didn't have a good choice. Are you sure you don't have any recommendations?"

Elph's bland conversation, with her characteristic tenderness and tonality, was unhurried, and the topic circled around Lan Li, then cleverly avoided it, and finally returned to herself, and after a conversation, it turned out that there was nothing of substance.

It's been a long time since I've felt this feeling.

"Sorry, I don't really have any recommendations. Lan Li's affirmative answer made Elf show a look of understanding, but she was not disappointed, she just nodded lightly, "Actually, I have to go back to work now, and other colleagues are waiting for me." Would you like to take a look? My colleagues won't mind if you will. ”

Lan Li knew that Elph would refuse.

"No, that's rude. Elf shook her head politely, "I have to go back to the hospital now, the lunch break is coming to an end, and I still have to make rounds in the afternoon." Elf looked up into Lan Li's eyes and smiled, "Are you going to continue your trip?"

"Yes. Lan Li replied in the affirmative with a smile.

"Well, I wish you a great trip. Elph said politely, as if they were strangers they had met socially, and when she had said that, she nodded and turned away.

Seeing the back of Elph leaving, Matthew spread his hands and explained in a helpless whisper, "She forced me to do this, she called the office, I pretended not to be there, and then she sent a bouquet of flowers to the office, and it was accompanied by a greeting letter. Matthew felt goosebumps in his back at the thought of the contents of the greeting letter—frightened," and then she called again. ”

Lan Li patted Matthew on the shoulder and smiled, "You can get back to work quickly." Elf is still waiting for you to stop a taxi for him. "A real lady will not stop the taxi herself, there must be a gentleman.

Matthew rolled his eyes, a sad and angry expression on his face, which was incompatible with his cold temperament, and then he gave Lan Li a hug, turned around and quickly caught up with Elph's departure.

Lan Li knew that Matthew had no way to refuse Elf, because Elf would not give Matthew room and space to refuse, even if Matthew continued to escape, Elf would have a way to achieve her goal.

Elf's appearance today is actually to bring greetings on behalf of the Hall family, and on behalf of George and Elizabeth, to see with their own eyes the current state of Lan Li. In comparison, Elph is the most suitable candidate.

The relationship between Lan Li and Elf is not intimate, but it is not bitter. Elph is a typical loner, she is not far from everyone in the family, not particularly close or particularly distant, she walks back and forth between them skillfully and sophisticatedly, like an outsider, carefully maintaining this seemingly harmonious and united family that has long since fallen apart.

Even when George and Elizabeth had the idea of divorce, it was Elph who mediated between the two - not because she was worried about her parents' divorce, but because she feared that the divorce would become an upper-class scandal that would affect the family's reputation.

This is Elph.

So, Elph's task today is to appear, show up, and greet. She didn't mean it, "greetings" was her ultimate goal, and after completing the task, she naturally retired. She will not get involved in this troubled water, she will not defend George and Elizabeth, and she will not think about Lan Li, as long as Lan Li does not go out of line to destroy the family's reputation, she will continue to stay out of the matter.

This is a step towards breaking the deadlock, but it is also a step towards maintaining the status quo.

Lan Li believed that after Elph returned, he would be able to clean up for at least a while, and they would not come to disturb him again.

He had expected such a situation, and even Elph's appearance and conversation did not exceed the expected range, but when it really happened, he couldn't help but exhale softly. Perhaps, after he returned to London, his performance state was still affected after all, he was not as calm and restrained as he imagined, nor was he as full of care as he imagined.

Suddenly, Lan Li misses Edith and Arthur a little, at least they are alive.