Let's go back to the morning of April 4, H City International Airport.

Duan Whale glanced at his watch. At 10:03, the time was almost up.

As soon as he stood up and walked to the boarding gate, his cell phone rang, it was from Q City.

“…… Father. ”

The immature voice sounded a little unhappy: "Are you really going to pick me up?" ”

Duan Whale responded: "Dad is at the airport now, and he will be at your side in two hours." ”

The little boy on the other end of the phone was silent for a while: "...... Then you wait, Brother Youqing wants to talk to you. ”

Duan Whale continued to walk forward with his mobile phone, and the phone quickly changed to an elegant voice.

"Teacher Duan."

After working together for so many years, Lin Youqing is the only one who has always insisted on calling Duan Whale "teacher".

Duan Whale crossed the gate and began to walk into the passage: "My little monkey has been causing you trouble these days. I'll pick him up later, you don't have to wait for me. ”

Lin Youqing seemed to smile: "Xiaoxing's table is very good during this time. Usually my parents help him go out to play, and I can't grab it. ”

Duan Whale also vaguely remembered the two old men. Although they are halfway husband and wife, they are very tacit and polite. Back then, they sent Lin Youqing to H City to go to college, and they also deliberately brought a lot of seafood, insisting that Lin Youqing give it to teachers and classmates.

At that time, Lin Youqing, who was ashamed to give gifts, stood at the door of the office, with a little embarrassed little youth. In Duan Whale's eyes, for some reason, it looked like a small tree.

In the blink of an eye, nine years have passed in a flash. Today's small trees are already flourishing, but they are reluctant to bear fruit. Duan Whale vaguely knew the reason, but he didn't want to continue thinking about it, and instead asked a more sensitive question.

"New job, haven't found it yet?"

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line.

"Hmm. There are many job opportunities, but the ones that are particularly suitable are still being found. My parents are getting older, and my younger brother is going to take the college entrance examination, so I want to choose a relatively easy job and be able to take care of the people in the family. ”

But with your ability and age, it should be the rising period of your career-Duan Whale wanted to say this very much, but thinking that everyone has their own ambitions, he has no position to force Youqing to change his decision.

"I'm reluctant to give you up." He changed his words and said, "If you change your mind, you can come back at any time, and the work number and benefits will always be reserved for you." ”

"Thank you, Mr. Duan. I will definitely remember the precious time I spent working with all of you. ”

“…… Okay, see you later. ”

Duan Whale ended the call and walked into the cabin to find the location.

The stewardess brought drinks and hot pistachios, but his heart seemed to be blocked, and he didn't come back to his senses for a long time.

After an hour and fifty minutes of flight, the plane landed smoothly in Q City. This is a famous coastal city in central China, and April is the city's most attractive season.

With no items to pick up, Duan Whale walked out of the luggage hall alone. In the waiting area of the arrivals hall, there is a line of drivers and guides holding plates. Although he clearly refused to pick him up, Duan Whale still looked there, and sure enough, he quickly found a familiar face.

"Teacher Duan!" Lin Youqing walked a few steps in front of him, with a smile in his eyes, "Welcome to Q City." ”

"Didn't you say you wouldn't pick it up? I'm not a three-year-old. ”

"I'm sorry......" Lin Youqing quickly apologized reflexively, "I happened to be doing something nearby just now, and I saw that the time was about the same, so I stopped by." ”

knew that this was a lie, but Duan Whale didn't debunk it. He looked Lin Youqing up and down: "Why are you thin again?" ”

"Maybe it's a relationship that I've been running around a lot for work lately." Lin Youqing hurriedly pointed in the direction: "My car is parked there, and my parents said that I must invite you to lunch." ”

"That's embarrassing."

"Teacher Duan, let's take it as a thank-you banquet that has been late for many years."

As he spoke, Lin Youqing had already turned around, preempted Duan Whale, and walked in the direction of the parking lot.

Lin Youqing drove a white car. The model is ordinary, eighty percent new. When he decided to leave H City, he also drove the car all the way back to Q City.

There is a string of Buddhist beads hanging on the rearview mirror in the car, which is a souvenir bought by teachers and students when they traveled to Putuo Mountain together in the summer of their senior year.

It was not the first time that Duan Whale had taken Lin Youqing's car, and this was the only space he was familiar with in this strange city. But this just shows that in H City, there is no trace of Lin Youqing anymore.

He pondered for a while, but asked again, "Have you really decided to stay here?" ”

"This is my hometown." Lin Youqing nodded, "Everyone has a hometown complex. ”

"But you're only twenty-seven years old. Your hometown won't disappear, and when you're old and famous, can't you come back? ”

"Hometown won't disappear, but people will. The tree wants to be quiet but the wind does not stop, and the child wants to raise but does not wait...... I don't want to leave regrets. ”

Lin Youqing tapped the steering wheel lightly and drove onto a beautiful road with cherry blossoms blooming on both sides.

Duan Whale didn't give up: "I'm not instigating you to do something unfilial. There are so many people in the world who leave their hometowns to start businesses, and many of them have parents who are even seventy or eighty years old, and they can go out, why can't you? ”

"Everyone's choice is different. If their hometowns can live and work in peace and contentment, maybe those people will not leave their hometowns. ”

"But I think you're making excuses. Use some high-sounding reasons to disguise the mindset you want to escape. ”

“……”

At this point, Lin Youqing sighed: "Teacher Duan, then what do you think I'm running away from?" ”

Duan Whale wanted to speak and stopped: "...... I'm not you, how would I know. ”

After saying this, he couldn't help but observe Lin Youqing's expression.

Lin Youqing still had a gentle smile on the corner of his mouth, but it was not difficult to find that there was no smile in his eyes.

Walking along the cherry blossom avenue to the west, it takes about half an hour to reach Lin Youqing's home.

It is a small six-story building that has been renovated on the outside, but is still very simple on the inside. The Lin family is on the first floor, with a three-bedroom and two-living room layout, and a small garden.

The white car stopped in the open space in front of the building, and Lin Youqing led Duan Whale into the door.

Today is Thursday, and Lin Youqing's younger brother Lin Youquan is still in school. Father Lin and Mother Lin were already waiting for the arrival of "Teacher Duan" at home, and they also made a table full of seafood dinner.

Duan Whale took out the gift he brought, exchanged a few more words, and then asked where his son Duan Xingze was. Father Lin pointed to the study and made another "silence" gesture.

Duan Whale understood, and walked in with light steps.

Seven-year-old Duan Xingze was lying on the Luohan bed in the study, and when he heard the voice, he wanted to pretend to be asleep, but the story book on his face slipped down, and he immediately looked at his father.

Duan Whale walked over to the bed and helped him pick up the storybook.

"Xingze, Dad is here to pick you up, do you want Dad."

Duan Xingze snorted and twisted his head: "Why are you here?" I don't want to see you!"

"It's Daddy's bad, Daddy shouldn't have left you here alone. Dad is not going abroad now, will I accompany you to the amusement park when I go back? ”

"Not good. I don't want to go back, I've been to the amusement park with Grandpa Lin and Grandma Lin a long time ago! Anyway, you don't bother to care about me, and I don't want you anymore! ”

As he spoke, Duan Xingze turned around angrily and turned his back to Duan Whale.

Duan Whale was speechless. On weekdays, he doesn't change his face to the hundreds of people in the company, but there is no way to take a seven-year-old child, it is really a thing to drop a thing.

The father and son were silent for a moment, there was a knock on the study door, and Lin Youqing immediately pushed the door in.

“…… Xingze, get up and eat. ”

Hearing Lin Youqing's voice, Duan Xingze got up in one go, deliberately avoided Duan Whale, and ran out of the door.

Duan Whale looked helpless: "How can this little monkey be ambushed by you." ”

"He's never been a demon in my house." Lin Youqing smiled, "It's time to eat." ”

As a famous seaside port city, Q City's seafood is indeed worthy of its reputation. Lin Youqing's stepfather was the chef of a local century-old restaurant before he retired, so although this meal was a family banquet, it was also full of color, flavor and flavor.

As Lin Youqing said just now, the Lin family seemed to regard this meal as a thank-you banquet that had been late for many years, and all kinds of good wine and good food greeted Duan Whale. The wine is Kweichow Moutai, which Dad Lin has put for many years, and it is full of fragrance as soon as it is opened.

Duan Whale doesn't like to drink very much, and when he was socializing in the past, Lin Youqing and a group of subordinates often blocked him in front. But at the moment, Lin Youqing didn't talk much, and only skillfully helped Duan Xingze remove crab meat and peel shrimp.

There is no choice but to bite the bullet.

After three rounds of drinking, Dad Lin's alcohol strength also increased, and he pulled Duan Whale with a red face and chatted about family life.

"Speaking of us, Youqing is back in Q City this time. I feel sorry for him. You said that our old couple is now deaf and clear-sighted, can run and jump, and there is no need for him to worry about it at all. It's ...... that he just wanted to give up such a good job and come back and huddle with us."

“…… Father! ”

Lin Youqing looked up embarrassedly: "If you don't mention this matter, why did you forget it." ”

"Hey, yes, yes!"

Dad Lin blushed, and wanted to fill Duan Whale again: "It's okay for Youqing to come back, it's safe and stable, find a good girl again, and give us a grandchild as soon as possible." ”

"......" Duan Whale didn't answer, and only used his spare eyes to observe Lin Youqing's reaction.

The young man sitting across from him paused with his hand peeling shrimp, but buried his head lower.

There was a sudden cold scene at the dinner table.

It was still Lin's mother who was delicate, and said in the round field: "Teacher Duan, don't listen to my old man's nonsense. In fact, as long as the child is good, it doesn't matter where he is or what he does. ”

"Yes, yes! Yes, it doesn't matter. Dad Lin also blushed and agreed: "It's not that Xingze is too cute, so I want to hold a grandson...... Speaking of which, Xingze seems to have a younger brother? ”

"Yes, he is a twin, and he has a younger brother named Chenfeng. Now with his mom in the United States. ”

"I don't have a mother."

Duan Xingze, who had been obediently staying by Lin Youqing's side, suddenly raised his head: "My mother has also become a father."

“……”

Lin Youqing shook his hand and dropped the shrimp on the chopsticks on the table. But Duan Xingze had an innocent expression on his face, obviously not knowing what he said wrong.

Father Lin and Mother Lin were even more unprepared, and their expressions suddenly froze.

"After their mother and I divorced, they went to the United States, where they had sex reassignment surgery and started a new family. ”

Duan Xingze didn't forget to add: "I have two fathers, but Chenchen still has a father and a mother." ”

“……”

Father Lin and Mother Lin looked at each other, and then laughed in unison.

"I see...... It's not unusual...... Come, eat the vegetables, eat the vegetables! ”

A good seafood meal suddenly became unpalatable. After that, the guests and hosts did not get involved in similar topics again, and ended the lunch casually.

One to two o'clock in the afternoon is Duan Xing Zelei's untouched lunch break. Taking advantage of this time, Lin Youqing accompanied Duan Whale to a nearby hotel.

Two people walked side by side on the street full of cherry blossoms in the afternoon, letting the petals flutter and dance around them, but they had their own hearts and minds, and they had no feelings to admire.

"I'm sorry." Lin Youqing apologized first: "My dad likes to talk nonsense after drinking. There are some things you don't want to take to heart. ”

Duan Whale shook his head: "It's none of your father's business, it's obvious that Xingze is taking revenge on me." I've been through all the worse scenes than this, and it's nothing at all. ”

Speaking of this, he asked Lin Youqing rhetorically: "Are you really going to come back to get married and have children?" ”

Lin Youqing didn't answer immediately, he turned his gaze to the cherry blossom trees on the side of the road.

"At least that's what my parents will plan sooner or later."

"And what are you going to do?"

"Hide it, you can hide it for as long as you can."

"And then what if you can't hide it anymore? Compromise, or leave. So what are you coming back for now? ”

"Anyway, I won't kill anyone else."

Lin Youqing let out a wry smile: "Maybe you can learn from the teacher of the school section, find a girl who also needs to use marriage as a disguise, and then give birth to two test-tube babies." ”

"I don't think that's a good idea. Paper can't hold the fire, and it should be separated. My nominal ex-wife understands this better than I do. So she went and went to live the life she really wanted to live. ”

"Who wouldn't want to live like that, but that's also a luxury. At least I can't afford it now. ”

Lin Youqing smiled and sighed, then stopped.

"We're here."