After Xin Chen left, Bruce was going to leave, but he was one of the celebrities of this hiking forum, registered for three years, and sometimes posted photos of hiking in the United States.

His parents divorced when he was 15 years old, and he immigrated to Canada with his mother and sister, but his father, Lin Yueqing, remained in China to do business and had a house there. He opened the door, only to find his father sitting in the living room with a mild-mannered man.

"Yueqing, let me introduce, this is Lu Fei, and your little uncle's company is now cooperating on a project, he has something to talk to you about, and he has been waiting for you for a long time."

Bruce's Chinese name is Lin Yueqing, and of course his family is used to calling him by this name, and he shook hands with Lu Fei while raising his eyebrows, "Hello, you must not be looking for me to talk about business, right?" ”

Lu Fei smiled, "I called you Yueqing, don't you mind?" If it's convenient, let's go downstairs to the café and sit down. ”

Lin Yueqing's house is not far from the local evening newspaper, there is a green door café opposite the newspaper, the decoration is elegant, although in this relatively secluded section, but the business has been good, the two sat opposite each other, each called a cup of coffee.

"Speaking of which, we are a bit of a distant relative, Yueqing, your little cousin Su Zhe is the younger brother of my brother-in-law Su Jie, and it is not the first time we have met. Three months ago, I accompanied Su Zhe to your dormitory. If we go a little further, we should have seen Su Zhe's wedding in Shenzhen three years ago. ”

Lin Yueqing suddenly smiled: "No wonder I felt familiar when I met you at the bar two days ago, yes, I went back to the dormitory that day, and you just went out." Uncle Xiao said that you and I are alumni, and I also graduated from that school, and I probably want to go to the school by myself. ”

Lu Fei smiled bitterly, he and Su Zhe went to the headquarters of the American company to discuss the specific matters of the venture capital fund's participation in the Haotian new project, after finishing the business, Su Zhe said that he was going to visit his nephew who was studying at the University of California, Berkeley, and had not seen him for a few years, Lu Fei graduated from the Hass Graduate School of Business over there three years ago, and just wanted to go back to see his old friends on the weekend, so the two bought air tickets and flew from New York to San Francisco together.

When he arrived at Lin Yueqing's dormitory, his roommate said that he would be back soon and asked them to wait, but Lu Fei saw two of the many photos hanging on the wall. One of them is on the top of the mountain, with a sea of clouds in the glow behind it, the scenery is indescribably magnificent, a girl in a dark gray jacket looks sideways into the distance, her hair is blown by the wind, obviously a snapshot, she does not notice the presence of the camera; Another background is obviously a hospital ward, with monotonous white walls, white beds, and an erected infusion stand next to it, a boy and the girl just now leaning together, they are both wearing blue and white striped hospital gowns, looking pale and haggard, but looking directly at the camera, smiling very happily.

Lu Fei was taken aback, needless to say, the girl in the group photo was so thin that her chin was sharp, her hair was cut short, her eyebrows were dark, her eyes were bright, and a dimple on her left cheek was looming, which was Xin Chen, who had not been seen for several years.

Su Zhe saw him pay attention to these two photos, and said with a smile: "This boy is my nephew, he loves hiking, three years ago he crossed the Qinling Mountains with the girl in the photo, and almost died. ”

"Three years ago? When, exactly? Lu Fei looked back at him, his voice a little rough.

"I got married in Shenzhen at the end of June that year, and he went to Qinling after returning to China to attend the wedding, which should be in early July. Lu Fei, what's wrong? ”

"It's okay, Su Zhe, I'll go out for a walk first, and we'll see you later."

Lu Fei couldn't hold back the shock in his heart, hurried out, and passed by Lin Yueqing, who had just returned.

The wind chimes rang softly at the door of the Green Gate Cafe, and a beautiful woman in a small black dress walked in, her skin was like snow, her hair was loosely curled, and a few locks hung down at will, which was very stylish. The few customers in the café could hardly help but look at her, but she seemed to have no sense of all the gazes, and went straight around the counter and into the inside.

Lin Yueqing said with a smile: "Oh my God, I was surprised that this store didn't change its name, but I didn't expect the proprietress to be this beauty, it seems to be called Susan." I immigrated to Canada when I was 15 years old, and the day before I left, my dad insisted on talking to me and brought me here. The first time I saw her that day, I was really amazed, and a young man's heart was pounding. Unexpectedly, seven years have passed, and she has not changed at all. ”

Lu Fei only glanced over there, obviously not paying attention to the appearance of the proprietress, "There is another coincidence between us, Yueqing, I also left this city for the United States more than seven years ago." ”

"Then I guess your goodbye should be more romantic than mine. I was a 15-year-old awkward boy at the time, and I hated my father, and I didn't want to say a word to him, if I hadn't seen the beautiful proprietress of the city, I would probably have died of depression that night. ”

Such a funny and cheerful Lin Yueqing made Lu Fei unable to help but smile, "No, it was a stubborn girl who said goodbye to me who was almost 18 years old, that scene was not romantic at all, but I can't forget her." ”

"If I'm not mistaken, that girl is Hehuan, that is, Xin Chen, I'm used to her screen name." He looked at Lu Fei in surprise and said with a smile, "My father introduced you to Lu Fei, and I knew what you wanted to talk to me about." ”

"Acacia." Lu Fei repeated the name, and what appeared in front of him was the girl who shook the trunk of the acacia tree so that the petals scattered all over his body, and he asked a little disbelievingly, "So...... Did she mention me to you? ”

"No, she didn't say anything, but three years ago, on Taibai Mountain, she had a fever, I took care of her, she once held my hand in a semi-coma and called the name Lu Fei, I was very impressed."

Lu Fei held the coffee cup in front of him tightly, his knuckles turned white, and it took him a long time before he spoke, his voice was a little hoarse, "That day in your dormitory, I saw a photo of Xiao Chen, and when I heard Su Zhe talk about it, I only knew that she had crossed the Qinling Mountains with you in distress, don't talk about me, her family doesn't know about it." ”

"Before the hike, everyone had to fill in the contact number of their family, but she was the last to come, so she somehow didn't fill in, and after the accident, the club people quickly found my father, but they couldn't contact her family. She also refused to disclose her home phone number in the hospital, originally I thought she was living alone, but later I heard her call her uncle, she seemed very relaxed, only said that she wanted to play in Xi'an for a few more days. ”

Lu Fei looked ahead for a moment, and whispered: "I checked the Internet after I went back, and the reports are all very simple, I repeatedly looked at the route you crossed, collected relevant hiking information, but I couldn't find the specific situation about the two of you being trapped." ”

"At that time, many reporters came to the hospital, and I didn't care, but Hehuan refused to accept any interviews, of course I respected her opinion, and only asked my father to deal with them, and at the same time thanked the armed police for their efficient search and rescue operations."

"Can you tell me a little more detail, Yueqing? I came back to this city three years ago, and that's when you set out on your hike. I did want to come back and see Xiao Chen before making a decision, but I didn't expect that she would almost kill herself in order to avoid me. ”

"Is she trying to avoid you?" Lin Yueqing frowned and pondered, he thought that it was indeed an incomprehensible choice to repeatedly repeat someone's name during his illness, but rashly join a strenuous hike just to avoid him.

"I had to prepare for that seven-day hike for a long time. As for Hehuan, we didn't know each other before, I only know that she was the last to sign up with the post, and the last to rush to the meeting place in Xi'an, with not all the equipment, but she said that she has been hiking since she was 18 years old, and her outdoor experience is enough to cope with this route, and it seems that there is no problem. ”

It was a completely masochistic route, a seven-day trip, with an average altitude of more than 3,000 meters, and more than 10 mountains above 3,400 meters above sea level, and there was no place for supplies along the way, that is, all the food had to be carried, plus tents, stoves, gas tanks and other equipment, the weight of women was more than 20 kilograms, and the weight of men was more than 25 kilograms.

The scenery of Taibai Mountain is magnificent, the stone sea, meadows, primeval jungles, wastelands until the Quaternary glacial relics and other landforms are complete, all kinds of unknown wildflowers bloom everywhere in summer, and the alpine rhododendrons also bloom at the end of that season, which is very gorgeous, but most of the routes actually have no road at all, and can only step on the traces of wild animals such as antelopes to move forward, and the climate is even more rapidly changing, cloudy and uncertain. The time of their departure is the beginning of July, there is still faint snow on the top of some mountains, the temperature of the mountain camp is between 0~10 °C, and it is the rainy season, the mountain rain and fog are coming, without warning.

In the afternoon of the next day, three members of the team either suffered from mild altitude sickness or were not adapted to the difficult road conditions, so they withdrew from the trip and were escorted down the mountain by club staff. The tent that Xin Chen brought did not meet the regulations, it had been left at the bottom of the mountain, and the girl who shared the tent with her withdrew, and she was assigned by the team leader to live in the same tent with Lin Yueqing. There is a beautiful girl "bastard", Lin Yueqing is naturally happy, even if this girl is always thoughtful and doesn't talk much. Of course, in such a high-intensity crossing, there were very few people chatting, but when it came time to rest and camp at night, everyone was talking and laughing, and she was still silent, her eyes drifting into the distance, obviously preoccupied.

On the third day, the weather was good, and they stayed overnight at the General's Temple, where the sky was full of stars and seemed to be within reach, and they sat and looked up at the starry sky, and they had their first conversation. Lin Yueqing was surprised to find that the two had lived in the same city before.

"She didn't complain all the way, followed the team closely, showed that she was able to endure hardships and was very experienced, she was not picky about what food she ate, and she didn't make a fuss about drinking water from the cracks in the rocks like other female team members."

Lu Fei has a bit of a cleanliness habit, he thinks that he should not be afraid of hardship, but that kind of drinking water is probably a little unacceptable, remembering that Xin Chen once laughed at himself, "Steamed buns can be picked up and patted on the ground and then eaten", it is really not an exaggeration, it is hard to imagine how much outdoor training the girl who used to be picky eaters has gone through to get to this point.

"On the fourth day, it rained lightly in the morning, and by the time I found out that she had a cold and a low-grade fever due to the seepage of water in her jacket, she was just taking her own medicine and carrying it, it was already late. She walked slower and slower, and she and I fell behind, and after the Lei Gong Ancestral Hall, we lost contact with the group and lost our way in a large forest of pristine larch needles. ”

The rain was not heavy that day, but the fog was very thick, Xin Chen's steps seemed heavy and sluggish, as if he was tripped by the muddy mountain road, Lin Yueqing wanted to take her backpack, she shook her head and refused, and said in a dumb voice: "It's okay, I can hold on, you go first, I'll follow in a while." ”

Later, she couldn't be stubborn, so she could only let Lin Yueqing take the backpack away.

"At night we had to camp alone, unfortunately I did not find a clean water source around, and I also ran into a lone wild antelope, this animal looks tame, in fact, it is very dangerous, it is said that there are cases of antelopes killing people in Taibai Mountain every year. I was lucky enough to dodge the point, but I still got a push. ”

Lin Yueqing reluctantly supported himself back to the tent and lay down next to Xin Chen, wanting to wait for the pain to ease. She was in a semi-comatose when she suddenly grabbed his hand and muttered, "Lu Fei, don't go, don't go, I'm afraid." ”

The strength of her hand was suddenly surprisingly strong, pulling and pulling his collarbone, which suddenly hurt his eyes, he could only grit his teeth and endure it, and comforted her softly: "Okay, I'm not leaving, don't worry, I'm here." ”

Xin Chen quieted down for a while, but he still held his hand, Lin Yueqing tried to touch the place where he was hit with his other hand, confirming that it should be a broken collarbone, fortunately, there was no open wound between the jacket and the two layers of fleece jacket inside, and he couldn't help but smile bitterly.

He originally planned to use the compass to identify the direction after dawn the next day, give up part of the load, and rush to the next campsite with Xin Chen on his back. But now that he is injured, it is almost impossible to carry people on his back.

Lin Yueqing lay down for a while, but still got up, found antipyretics and anti-inflammatory drugs and forced them to feed Xin Chen to drink, took painkillers himself, and then went to sleep. The next day, Xin Chen still had a low-grade fever, but he came to his senses, ate some noodles he cooked, and suddenly said, "Bruce, you go first, go for rescue, and then come back to pick me up." ”

Lin Yueqing was carefully considering several possible options in his heart, and he admitted that Xin Chen's proposal was wise, but thinking of the thin fingers that grabbed him hard yesterday, and the low murmur with despair, he couldn't let her go here alone, "Aren't you afraid?" ”

She looked at him, her feverish eyes calm, "Nothing to fear. ”

She really didn't seem to be afraid, and didn't seem to mind facing the desolation or even death of a person alone. Lin Yueqing smiled, "Okay, then I'm afraid, I'm afraid of walking alone, especially if I'm injured, I'm not sure how far I can go." I think so, this area is flat and leeward, we should not have deviated too far from the route, it is better to stay here and wait for rescue, not to separate. ”

"I'm the one who dragged you down," she whispered, "and if it weren't for my speed, you wouldn't have fallen behind, you wouldn't have gotten lost, and you wouldn't have been injured." And now that you've given me your sleeping bag and moisture-proof mat, you'll catch a cold if the temperature drops. ”

Lin Yueqing has a lot of experience in outdoor hiking, and in the first year of studying in the United States, he and his classmates met to go to the Rocky Mountains to cross, before this trip, he studied the information, made full preparations for the climate, and brought tents, moisture-proof mats and sleeping bags are very suitable for such high-altitude camping, while Xin Chen brought only ordinary hiking equipment, which is obviously not enough in the low temperature here.

"We came out as a team, I believe that the team leader will call for help to come to us, and will not leave us alone, and you also have to believe that I can't give up on you."

This big boy who is less than 20 years old has a relaxed tone, but he has a convincing and reassuring bearing, Xin Chen lowered his eyelids and sighed: "Please make the most rational choice, don't be rash." You can change your mind at any time, and I definitely don't blame you. ”

This was the end of the discussion, and they camped on the edge of a vast pine forest, and the next day, the sun came out, and wildflowers bloomed on the nearby meadows, and the season quickly transitioned from the cold of winter at night to the day of spring, but they both knew that the weather here was capricious.

They gathered firewood and went to the open area to build a campfire, trying to make the smoke look thicker, hoping that the rescue team would find it sooner, but in the afternoon, it was overcast and it started to rain again, and the two had to huddle in their tents.

When Xin Chen was sober, she would chat with Yueqing, who found that she was talkative and not as taciturn as she seemed in the first few days. But she was talking about what she had seen and heard on foot and the city they had lived in together, and nothing else.

On the third day when they got lost, her heat rose, her face flushed, and her lips were chapped, Lin Yueqing used a wet towel to put on her forehead, collected rainwater, and forcibly fed her water every once in a while, but she still began to show signs of dehydration, she didn't grasp his hand anymore, but occasionally her lips opened and closed slightly, and the call was still vaguely the name.

In an almost desperate moment, the rain stopped, Lin Yueqing tried his best to find something that could be lit, and the fire was rekindled, and the search and rescue team composed of outdoor rescue teams, villagers and armed police finally found them.

"We are indeed lucky, the team leader handled it in a timely manner, and after finding out that we were left behind, he immediately asked the management office for help, and probably emphasized the Canadian passport I took." Recalling the days when he was so close to death, Lin Yueqing did not have any lingering palpitations, but said with a smile, "We were carried down the mountain and sent to the health center, and my father had already rushed over after receiving a call, and immediately transferred us to the Xi'an City Hospital, which was regarded as picking up a life and coming back." ”

During the period after Lu Fei returned from the United States, he collected all the information related to the hike in Taibai Mountain in the Qinling Mountains on the Internet like a fascination, and knew that Lin Yueqing was not exaggerating at all, almost every year, tourists, travelers and mountain people who collected medicine disappeared and died in the mountains, lost their way, lost their temperatures, and encountered wild beasts...... All kinds of reasons can be fatal, and Xin Chen's ability to come back alive in that situation was a fluke.

His hands clenched into fists under the table, and he couldn't imagine what thought had driven her to flee when he heard that he was coming back, and he had the impression that she had always been stubborn and never dodged.

Lu Fei said goodbye to Lin Yueqing, and after leaving the Green Gate Cafe, he almost subconsciously drove to Xin Chen's residence, standing downstairs and looking at the window without a trace of light, he couldn't remember how many times he had stood here and looked up like this.

Seven years ago, Lu Fei went to the United States to study, Xin Chen was admitted to an inconspicuous comprehensive university in the city, moved to the dormitory, and refused to accept his email, and the two completely lost contact. Next, he could only ask Xin Di about her status during an email exchange with her.

Xin Di's news to him was all a few words: she majored in graphic design, she had a boyfriend, she looked good, she seemed to suddenly like traveling, she worked as a graphic model in her spare time, my dad didn't want her to do that, she broke up with her boyfriend, she worked part-time at a wedding photography company, and she had a new suitor......

Every time he received such an email, he would read it over and over again, trying to organize a relatively complete life from simple words, but in vain.

His father had always been strict with his children and did not encourage them to travel freely during their studies. He returned to China for the first time during the Christmas break in his second year of study, when his father had already transferred to the south and the family moved south. His sister was about to give birth, and he stayed until his little nephew was born, and the vacation was almost over.

Lu Fei was supposed to go to Beijing to take a plane back to the United States, but he couldn't help but quietly buy a plane ticket to come over, but the door of Xin Chen's house was locked tightly. He called Xin Di, didn't say that he was in the city, just chatted with her, and then asked Xin Chen as if he didn't want to, only then did he know that Xin Chen had spent the winter vacation with his father, who was doing business in Kunming.

He could only wish Xin Di's family a happy New Year, put down the phone in amazement, and looked up at the dark window as now.

The sky was covered with fine snowflakes, cold and damp, and he had come from the warm south, not much dressed, but he still walked to a secluded road behind the city park, and in the middle of winter evening, in such weather, there were almost no pedestrians.

Just a year before Lu Fei went abroad, he accompanied Xin Chen, a sophomore in high school, for a walk here, and it was late spring at the end of April, and the air was warm, indicating that the city's long summer was about to begin.

Since the first half of that year, Xin Kaiyu suddenly and abnormally did not travel anymore, nor did he run around, and he was at home almost every day. Xin Chen is in the second semester of her sophomore year of high school, and the school has begun self-study every evening plus a full-day make-up class on Saturday, and it is inconvenient for Lu Fei to come to her house to help her with tutoring, so she can only occasionally take her out to eat or walk on Sundays.

Lu Fei was afraid of delaying Xinchen's homework, so he always sent her home early. On that day, her April transfer results came out, and she did quite well, and her grade ranking rose to less than 150, which can be regarded as above average. Lu Fei showed an approving expression and took her to the movies to relax, but after coming out, Xin Chen insisted on not going back.

"I have class tomorrow, wouldn't it be good to go home early and rest?"

"Come with me, Lu Fei, I've been doing my homework lately, so it's okay to take it as an exam reward?"

Lu Fei knew that the middle school he had studied was notoriously heavy with homework, and Xin Chen had indeed restrained his playfulness since he promised him to work the day he saw the cherry blossoms, and he could be regarded as immersed in his studies recently. He couldn't bear to refuse, and walked aimlessly along the back of the park with her.

"I've been so happy lately, do you know why?"

"Why?"

"Dad is always at home, he accompanies me to do my homework almost every night, buys me food for the night, forces me to drink milk, and he says that he will try his best to take care of me until the college entrance examination." Xin Chen said with a smile, "And you always come to accompany me." ”

Lu Fei sighed, only thinking that what her father did was obviously something that a father should have done a long time ago, but seeing Xin Chen's dimples looming with a smile, his eyebrows and eyes were crooked, and he even ranked him with her father, obviously very close to him, and of course happy.

She tugged at his sleeve, "I'm going to eat lamb kebabs." ”

Lu Fei looked at the smoky, skewered barbecue stall exposed to the air, and questionable hygiene, and couldn't help frowning, "It's better to eat ice cream." ”

He had just refused her request to eat ice cream, on the grounds that the weather was not hot, and he was careful of stomach pain, and now he wanted to choose the lesser of two evils, but Xin Chen took the cone he bought, and smiled triumphantly, he immediately knew that he had been fooled, so he could only pat her head angrily and funny.

They walked along this quiet boulevard, and the wind at the end of April was warm and bright, blowing a little lazy, and the twilight was thin, and the sky refused to be completely dark. She took his arm and the setting sun cast their figures in front of them for a long time.

Not far ahead, a well-dressed man in his 30s suddenly stopped under a tree, looked left and right, and actually started to climb the tree. Lu Fei couldn't help but be surprised, and Xin Chen stopped and watched with interest. The man looked down and saw someone looking at him, he was a little surprised, and said to himself: "My daughter raises silkworms for fun, and the mulberry leaves she bought are not enough to eat, so it is easy to find a mulberry tree here." ”

Xin Chen said with a smile: "My dad also picked mulberry leaves for me before, and I was wondering if he also looked at no one around like this, and then climbed the tree." ”

The man in the tree was amused, "It's only right for a girl to toss her father." ”

"Hey, don't touch the flowers, you can grow mulberries."

The man smiled and agreed: "Okay, when the mulberries are finished and let your boyfriend climb the tree and pick them, you can finally take a break when you are a father." ”

They couldn't help laughing, and the two continued to walk forward, not far away, Xin Chen suddenly stopped again, "Hey, I met my classmate." ”

Lu Fei hurriedly pulled her to a big tree on the side of the road, and through the faint darkness, she could see a pair of young boys and girls coming out of the side gate of the park in front of her, holding hands and walking towards the opposite station. Xin Chen smiled wryly, "That boy is our school's 100-meter champion, and the girl is my classmate." ”

Lu Fei is funny, daring to love the children are seizing that limited free time to fall in love, "Hasn't he been pursuing you?" ”

"Who would be so stupid, people will keep chasing if they ignore it." Xin Chen said indifferently, "This girl is the secretary of our class and league branch, and she is usually dignified." ”

"Don't talk nonsense, it's a misnomer."

"You should change my language homework? So what word is good? A serious book, a fake model. The more Xin Chen spoke, the funnier it became, "Or pretending?" ”

Lu Fei rubbed her hair helplessly, "You're also dating, and you're laughing at people." ”

She leaned into his arms and smiled, "But I didn't pretend to be an innocent girl, and I'm not afraid of people seeing it." ”

Lu Fei was secretly ashamed, he really didn't want to be seen by her classmates. He leaned his back against the tree, wrapped his hands around her, and asked with a smile, "Then did I pretend?" ”

Xin Chen looked up at him seriously, his eyebrows were straight, his eyes were full of tenderness and smile, making her feel like the ice cream she had just held in her hand, she could melt into this gaze little by little, "You didn't pretend, you were born serious, I like you like this." ”

This praise made Lu Fei a little embarrassed, well, it's better to be natural and serious than to be fake, he thought resignedly. He leaned down and kissed her sweet soft lips, commanded himself not to linger, and then said to himself self-deprecatingly: Especially now, you don't seem to be too serious.

They walked around that road, Xin Chen has been talking to him with great interest This and that, a while talking about when he was in elementary school and Xin Di partnered to raise silkworms, Xin Di was afraid of her mother and didn't dare to take it home, all put it here for her, and waited until the white and yellow cocoons were formed, the two were so excited that they each divided half, Xin Di quietly took it back and put it in the drawer, but he didn't watch out for a few days when there were moths breaking out of the cocoon, and when he opened the drawer, he flew all over the house, causing his mother to blame him; After a while, he pointed to the tree on the side of the road and told him that this is called acacia, and the white flowers on the tree are blooming luxuriantly, and it is the best to eat when it is not open.

It wasn't until the night was so dark that he couldn't walk anymore that Xin Chen agreed to let him send him home. When I went downstairs, I met Xin Kaiyu and went home, Xin Chen was not like other girls who had boys around her and had to hide from their parents, she called her "Dad" generously, he turned around, Lu Fei couldn't help but be surprised by his youth.

At that time, Xin Kaiyu was only 35 years old, and he looked like he was only in his early 30s, more like an older brother than a father, he was thoughtful, but when he saw his daughter, he immediately smiled and put his hand on her shoulder, "Are you crazy to come back so late?" There was no reproach in his tone.

Xin Kaiyu is not like other fathers who have a beautiful daughter growing up, who scrutinizes strange boys strictly, he just looked at Lu Fei casually, and then went in with his daughter and walked into the black corridor, Xin Chen turned around and smiled at Lu Fei and shook his hand, her smile was as deeply embedded in his memories as that spring day.

The spring scenery is like yesterday, and the laughter seems to be lingering in my ears.

The road in front of me was silent, and the acacia and mulberry trees were all bare, making it a bleak winter day. A cold north wind whistled by, and the white heat that Lu Fei breathed out was immediately blown away, and the fine snowflakes soaked his coat, allowing the biting chill to penetrate his body.

He thought, maybe there really is no fate anymore. Fate, such a cheesy but yet so versatile word, seems to be able to explain all the clutch encounters between people, but it can't explain the concern that he uses all his reason to convince, but he can't let go.

He went to the airport and transferred from Beijing back to the United States to continue his studies. He could only say to himself: Okay, it seems that she should be doing well, and there are boys who keep pursuing her. Of course, such a beautiful and vivid girl, how can no one pursue her, there will always be someone to give her happiness. If you give up, you no longer have the right to expect her to take you into account when she can really decide her own life.

And a new face has appeared in his life.

After graduating from the Hass Business School, Lu Fei successfully entered the venture capital company in the United States to work, and was sent back to the domestic office half a year later. ”

"It doesn't matter how long it takes." Ji Ruoli replied to him.

She is a gentle and quiet beautiful girl, after graduating from high school, she went to the United States to study in college, and gave up her plan to continue her studies for him, and only smiled and said: "I can continue my studies at any time, but I can't risk losing you by letting you go back to China." ”

He felt that he couldn't repay such a dedication, but she smiled, "No, you don't have a psychological burden, this is my own decision, you just make your decision." ”

Lu Fei's decisiveness at work made his boss highly valued, but when it came to Xin Chen, he never made himself a quick decision. After much hesitation, he called Xin Di and said he was planning to come back for a vacation – a somewhat ridiculous excuse, of course, that no one would want to spend a holiday in the city, which is known for its summer heat, in early July.

Lu Fei wanted to see Xin Chen before making a decision, even if he knew that she already had a boyfriend at the time.

Three years ago, at dusk in early July, Lu Fei stepped off the plane, and the blazing and long-lost heat hit his face. After getting into the taxi, the driver asked him where he was going, and he hesitated for a moment, but still reported Xin Chen's address, and this time her door was still locked.

He could only go to the restaurant where Xin Kaiming had booked a location, Xin Kaiming, Li Xin and his wife had already arrived there first, saying that Xin Di would arrive soon, he asked, "What about Xiaochen?" You should have already left work, right? ”

Xin Kaiming was silent, obviously a little annoyed, Li Xin frowned and said: "Don't mention it, she suddenly said that she didn't want to go to work, she went to Xi'an with her boyfriend for a trip, and left this morning, alas, this job was finally arranged for her, causing your Uncle Xin and Director Wang to apologize constantly." ”

What Li Xin said next, he didn't pay attention to it. After Xin Di came over, everyone began to eat, Xin Di noticed his trance, he only smiled calmly: "Probably not used to this local heat method." ”

So the topic turned to global warming, climate anomalies, Xin Di said that according to newspaper reports, his alma mater cherry blossoms are advancing every year, and clothing companies now have to take warm winter as an important factor in the development of winter clothing, and he also talked about the first year of returning to China, the flowers at San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf seem to bloom exceptionally early, and cosmos can be seen blooming from afar, which is unusually gorgeous.

What he didn't say was that whether he heard the cherry blossoms blooming or the flowers blooming like in a foreign country, all he thought of was Xin Chen.

At night, Lu Fei sent Xin Di home, and stood for a long time under the acacia tree in the yard, just in the flowering period, although the dark could not see the posture of the acacia flowers in full bloom, but the fragrance was faint, and a small smile like a flower was in front of him.

Ji Ruoli called his mobile phone and asked carefully: "Lu Fei, how many days will you stay over there?" ”

He suddenly couldn't bear the beautiful and warm flowers blooming silently above his head, and he couldn't bear to continue to stay in this city as noisy as a furnace, "I'll be back tomorrow." ”

Lu Fei changed his ticket under the pretext of having a temporary job, and returned to Beijing the next day. Ji Ruoli picked him up at the airport, he looked tired, he didn't want to say anything, she didn't ask anything, drove quietly, and sent him downstairs to his house, he unbuckled his seat belt, turned around and was about to say "goodbye", only to see a little crystal tears in her eyes, but quickly turned her head and held the steering wheel and looked ahead.

"I'm really afraid you'll go back, and then call me and say you've found the person you're looking for."

Lu Fei was silent, the person he was looking for seemed to be impossible to find again. Ji Ruoli is sensitive and meticulous, and knows that there are certainly reasons for his repeated refusal and long-term non-response. After a long time, she reached over and held his hand, "I'm very selfish, Lu Fei, I have been hoping that you can't find her in my heart, but seeing you so unhappy, I'm not happy either." ”

He looked at her and smiled slightly, "Actually, I'm not unhappy. ”

As long as she's happy, he thought.

When he said this, Xin Chen should have walked on the Taibai Mountains facing the sunset. Lu Fei thought bitterly.

In the next few days, Lu Fei's vacation was not exhausted, so he took Ji Ruoli to Beidaihe. Then, just when he and Ji Ruoli were kissing on the beach, Xin Chen began to have a fever, and supported the sick body to continue to trek until he fell behind. When Ji Ruoli hugged him tightly, trembling in his arms and softly calling his name, Xin Chen was lying in that tent, grabbing Lin Yueqing's hand and calling his name as well. If it weren't for Lin Yueqing by his side, then she would have died alone without him noticing. And his heart was full of frustration, and jealousy that he didn't want to admit, and he didn't want to wait even one more day, but he still deceived himself into thinking that she would live well.

Such memories and associations filled Lu Fei with a sense of guilt, and cold sweat broke out in his palms clenched into fists.

"Tatsuko isn't home right now."

Lu Fei turned around, and Xin Kaiyu was standing not far behind him.

On an afternoon at the end of June nine years ago, they stood in almost the same position downstairs, looking at each other the same way, and Xin Kaiyu said the same sentence.

At that time, Xin Kaiyu got out of the taxi and saw Lu Fei standing downstairs, they had met a few months ago, Xin Kaiyu had a lot of impression of this boy with a calm demeanor.

Lu Fei just broke up with Xin Chen a few days ago.

It was the time to return to school at the end of the semester to get the report card, Lu Fei went to wait for Xin Chen not far from the middle school, and saw her alone from a distance, walking lazily towards him, he took her schoolbag and asked casually: "How did you do in the exam?" ”

She reluctantly took out the transcript from her pocket and handed it to him, looking at the extremely bad result, Lu Fei was puzzled and annoyed, "It was very good when I took the exam in April, why did I get it like this all of a sudden?" ”

Xin Chen didn't speak for a while, only looked at the front sullenly. Lu Fei said: "Xiaochen, there is still a senior year of high school, as long as you hurry up, it should be too late." Is your dad home today? If you're not there, I'll go over and tutor you. ”

He thought that her family life was normal and would help her study, but during that time, Xin Chen only said that his homework was very tight and he didn't ask to meet him. How did he know that when he looked at it now, his grades had plummeted, which made him really confused.

Xin Chen shook his head, "No, I have to go to my uncle's house later." Let's go to the movies, Lu Fei, don't talk about studying today. ”

Lu Fei could only take her to the cinema, randomly chose a movie to buy a ticket and sat in, in the darkness she stretched out her hand and put it in his palm, with a little self-awareness and the meaning of peace, Lu Fei sighed and held the slender hand.

It was a very lively American movie that day, full of Hollywood-style gimmicks, but Xin Chen stared at the screen blankly, and didn't have much smile. In the past, she always seemed to have endless words in front of him, and when watching movies, she would come over from time to time to comment on the content of the movie, and he mostly listened with a smile, but now that she was so unusually quiet, he noticed that something was wrong.

Her father wouldn't put pressure on her, and she wouldn't be bothered by a grade, so she cared about his feelings, he thought, and although she didn't take to heart the promise she made to him when she saw the cherry blossoms in the spring, it might not be strange for a playful child who didn't like to learn.

After leaving the cinema, Lu Fei sent her to her uncle's house, Xin Chen has been absent-minded, Lu Fei looked at her sideways, in the past two years, she has grown a lot taller, and her expression at this time suddenly looks less childish, such an unconscious change makes Lu Fei happy and worried, "Xiaochen, promise me, let's make a plan to come out, and seize the time to study this summer." ”

She said unenthusiastically: "Uncle arranged for me to start tutoring art during the summer vacation. ”

Lu Fei knew that many parents arranged for their children with poor grades to study art to participate in the art joint examination, which was a shortcut to college, but she and Xin Di had laid a solid foundation in art since they were young and showed talent. He didn't think that Xin Chen was painting under the guidance of Xin Di, and he was a hobby of art if he didn't paint cartoon characters too out of shape, so he could only express his incomprehension of Xin Kaiming's decision: "Do you like art?" ”

"General." Xin Chen was listless, obviously neither resisting nor welcoming this decision, "It's probably better than the college entrance examination, my dad also said it would be easier." ”

Lu Fei was silent, and had already walked outside the courtyard where Xin Kaiming lived, Xin Chen suddenly turned around, hugged his waist with both hands, and looked up at him, "Lu Fei, are you disappointed in me?" ”

At this time, it was just dusk, and people were coming and going, Lu Fei was a little embarrassed, and gently pulled her hand away, and couldn't help but admit that he was indeed a little disappointed that she gave up her goal so easily, "Xiaochen, you are so smart, as long as you work a little harder, you will not be able to achieve more than this now." ”

Xin Chen turned his head sideways, silent for a long time, Lu Fei looked at her, her big eyes were obviously full of tears, but he didn't let it flow out, he suddenly softened, hugged her and said: "If you really don't like to study, you can't help it, forget it, but at least you have to strive for a score that can go to college." ”

Xin Chen was suddenly annoyed, "Grades, you know the results." She snatched her school bag and ran into the courtyard, passing under two trees with blooming acacias, and rushed into the corridor in one go.

Lu Fei could only look at her back helplessly, turned his head and walked a few steps, and just as he met Li Xin coming back from work and asked him to go in for dinner, he politely declined.

In the next few days, he called Xin Chen's home again, but she was still not in a high mood, and her speech was very simple, and she didn't have the strength to hold the phone and keep talking to him before.

He could only think in annoyance, he didn't know what was wrong with this kid, he used to be petty, and it would be fine after a while, but this time he would be awkward for so long. At the same time, he reflected on himself, and it seemed that he really attached too much importance to her grades, which probably hurt her self-esteem. After the school holiday, he hurried over to see that there was no one at home, but when he came downstairs, he saw Xin Kaiyu.

Xin Kaiyu hurriedly went upstairs. Lu Fei was hesitating whether to wait any longer or go to Xin Di's house, but he saw Xin Kaiyu coming down with another suitcase.

"Are you going on a business trip again?" Lu Fei asked him politely.

Xin Kaiyu was a little surprised, after all, other boys didn't dare to talk to him casually, and Lu Fei in front of him looked like he was in his early 20s, with a gentle temperament, and his eyes looked at him without flickering, obviously not a young boy. He said: "This time it is not a business trip, it is to work in the field. ”

"What about Xinchen?"

"Tatsuko went to live at her uncle's house."

"Okay, I'll go over there and look for her, goodbye."

"Wait a minute." Xin Kaiyu stopped him, "Are you called Lu Fei?" ”

Lu Fei nodded.

Xin Kaiyu looked at him and muttered, "Lu Fei, I have a problem at work, I have to go to the field, and I can't come back in a short time, so I have to entrust Chenzi to my eldest brother and sister-in-law." My sister-in-law made it clear to me that she was willing to take care of Tatsuko before she was admitted to university, but the premise was that Tatsuko didn't associate with boys this year, and she especially named your name and didn't want Tatsuko to be with you. ”

Lu Fei was taken aback, "Why?" ”

"I'm afraid my sister-in-law is a very traditional and conservative person, according to her, your family is more sensitive, and she will not accept you to fall in love so early; Tatsuko lives with her, and she must be responsible for her. Xin Kaiyu shrugged, "I think she has a point." Although I don't think you're in love, I don't think you need to decide what the future is. ”

Lu Fei frowned, "I like Xiaochen, I will definitely cherish her and respect her, she is still young, but I am an adult, and I will master the proportions of communication." I can assure you that I will not hurt her. ”

"Don't rush to promise me just yet. During this time, Tatsuko was affected by my affairs and was in a very bad mood. She just looks cheerful, but she's actually very sensitive, and I don't want her to get along unpleasantly with her aunt. I talked to her yesterday, and she promised me that she would listen to her aunt, but when it came to you, she was not so well-behaved, and only said that she knew. ”

Lu Fei's heart suddenly beat faster, this kid is different to him after all.

"Those little boys, since Tatsuko promised me, he can send it away. Seeing that you are relatively mature, I am telling you this, you should know what I mean, right? ”

"I understand, don't worry."

Xin Kaiyu laughed self-deprecatingly, as if he felt that he was a little ridiculous in saying these words, beckoned to stop a taxi, the driver helped him put his luggage into the trunk, he looked back at the house he lived in, and then looked at Lu Fei, "Tatsuko is indeed still a child, if you really like her, please be patient, and when she grows up and can decide to live on her own, it is not too late to say to her." ”

This request was reasonable, and Lu Fei could only nod his head and agree.

Lu Fei had always been confident in his patience and self-control, and the moment he and Xin Kaiyu looked at each other, he had no doubt that he could fulfill that promise. He watched Xin Kaiyu get in the car and go away, and then went to Xin Kaiming's house. Xin Di is home alone, she has recently developed a deep interest in pattern making, and the sofa is full of piles of all kinds of odd fabrics that she bought back, staking out and cutting and sewing by herself. Seeing him coming, Xin Di excitedly showed his results, "How is it?" The clothes I designed for Tatsuko are almost finished. ”

"Where's Xiao Chen?"

"She's going to art cram school, and she's supposed to be back soon."

Sure enough, after a while, Xin Chen walked in with a canvas folder and a yellow toolbox, and when he saw Lu Fei, he was happy at first, and then immediately straightened his face, and went straight into the bedroom to sit in front of the desk and crackle through the books.

Lu Fei couldn't cry or laugh, and also walked in, sat next to her in a mop chair, and held her hand, "Xiaochen, are you still angry?" ”

Xin Chen glared at him, "Don't come to me in the future, aunt told me not to pester you." ”

Lu Fei was taken aback: "What do you mean by pestering me?" ”

Xin Chen was annoyed, but he really couldn't relay his aunt's words, so he only pumped his hand hard, Lu Fei didn't let go, and coaxed her with a smile: "I'll make it clear to my aunt later, it's obvious that I'm pestering you." ”

"It's strange that you're going to say that." Xin Chen's anger did not subside, but his hand stopped in his palm.

Lu Fei smiled bitterly, admitting that she was really a keen child, he was not afraid of Li Xin, but he would not be so reckless in making this kind of confession after agreeing to Xin Kaiyu. He played with her fingers, slender and fair, pink nails shining with a healthy sheen, the paint stained on the fingertips had not been washed off, and he whispered, "I went to your house just now and met your father, Xiaochen." ”

Xin Chen said anxiously: "My father didn't do anything bad, someone hurt him." ”

Lu Fei was stunned, "Xiaochen, your father only told me that he had to go to work in other places, and you will live in your uncle's house in the future." ”

Xin Chen bit his lip and twisted his head to the side. Lu Fei understood that her father must have caused some trouble, and the decline in her grades during this period was probably affected by this, and she couldn't help but pity, "I promised your father not to let you be embarrassed by your aunt's side, and it may be inconvenient to come over in the future." You obediently listen to them, study hard, and call me if you don't understand something. ”

Xin Chen suddenly withdrew his hand and looked directly at him, "Lu Fei, I said this to my aunt and my father: I won't pester anyone, including you. ”

"Xiao Chen, where do you want to go? I made it very clear to your dad that I like you and am willing to wait for you to grow up. You're about to be in your third year of high school, and now you have to focus on your studies, and your aunt's requirements for you are reasonable, she is very strict with Xiaodi, and you know it. ”

Xin Chen looked at him in a daze, and didn't speak for a long time.

"It's just a year, Xiao Chen. It's good to wait until you are admitted to university, don't you see that Xiaodi is more free now than before? also went to the field with her classmates to watch the fashion exhibition, and her aunt would not stop her again. ”

"What if I don't get into your university?"

Looking at this obviously coquettish face, Lu Fei smiled, "You try your best, if you don't try your best, be careful and I will punish you." ”

Xin Chen recovered his good mood and snorted, obviously not afraid of his punishment. Xin Di came in with a skirt and waved Lu Fei, "Lu Fei, you go out first, Chenzi try this skirt quickly." ”

Lu Fei walked to the living room, listened to the two girls talking in it, and laughed together, such a pleasant laughter and whispering, mixed with the fragrance of acacia flowers wafting into the room, made this early summer afternoon seem peaceful and long, he was a little in a trance, almost wishing that time would stay in this pure and carefree moment.

Xin Di called him: "Lu Fei, do you see if Chenzi looks good in this." ”

He looked back at Xin Chen, and suddenly his mouth became a little dry.

Xin Chen was wearing a blue batik fabric skirt with a rough texture, calf-length, and the girl's figure was wrapped so curvaceously for the first time, concave and convex, that people had the urge to put their hands on it and move and caress it.

Fortunately, neither of the sisters noticed his reaction, Xin Chen looked at the dressing mirror at the entrance, and giggled, "This is very weird, like a noodle pocket, I haven't seen anyone on the street wear such a dress." ”

"Don't move." Xin Di fixed her and tied the bow around her waist for her, "This style is chic enough, do you understand?" ”

Xin Chen shook his head, "I still think it looks better in jeans." ”

Xin Di had no choice but to ask Lu Fei for help, "Quick, tell this little silly girl that this skirt looks much better than jeans." ”

Lu Fei struggled to keep his voice calm, "Yes, it's beautiful. ”

But Xin Chen still smiled at the mirror, "No matter what you say, I won't wear this to school." ”

Lu Fei actually breathed a sigh of relief, he would rather this girl still wear jeans and sneakers to school, if such a tempting beauty only lives in his eyes, it can somewhat calm his turbulent mind, this thought makes him a little ashamed.

Next, Lu Fei picked her up every day when Xin Chen went to art cram school, and when she was sent to the corner of her uncle's house, the two broke up. After the summer vacation ended, Xin Chen went to school from morning to night from Monday to Saturday, and on Sunday at home, Xin Di tutored for half a day of art.

Li Xin is very strict and fair to Xin Chen, basically the same as the rules when he used to manage Xin Di: go to school and leave school on time, don't stay outside for no reason, and don't have any contact with boys other than studying. In life, she can be said to take very good care of Xin Chen.

Xin Di usually lives in the school, and there are only three people in the family: uncle, aunt and Xin Chen. Li Xin makes a nutritious and comprehensive breakfast for three people every morning, and Xin Chen comes home from evening self-study, and there must be a bottle of milk and a piece of snack on the table. The two adults don't like to talk, Xin Kaiming always sits in the study to read, Li Xin turns on the TV sound in the living room, and knits sweaters while watching TV. Xin Chen was doing her homework in the bedroom, and when it was time to rest, the uncle would come in and tell her to go to bed early.

Xin Chen is grateful for the meticulous care of her uncle and aunt, but she has always been made loose by her father's free-range policy, and often does homework on the TV in her own home.

Although the life in front of her is comfortable and orderly, it is really boring for her.

Of course, she understands that this idea comes from a very bad idea, so she can only lie about it when she calls her father. Xin Kaiyu went to a different place for the first time, and everything started from scratch, not embarrassed, but also could only tell his daughter to be obedient.

On this day, Lu Fei suddenly received a call from Xin Chen: "Lu Fei, can you come and pick me up today?" Uncle went to Zhuhai on a business trip, and my aunt had a meeting today and didn't come back. ”

Lu Fei immediately agreed. At night, he waited outside the school, and saw Xin Chen walking out with a schoolbag and a group of classmates from a distance, she waved goodbye to her classmates, and then walked towards him.

She got closer and closer, and like the other high school juniors, she was a little sleep-deprived listless, the little round baby fat on her face had subsided a little, her chin had become sharper, and her eyes were getting bigger and bigger. This kind of emaciation made her a little more charming, and Lu Fei suddenly felt that she was almost a little strange after not seeing her for two months. She pounced and hooked Lu Fei's neck, which was still childish, completely ignoring the possibility of being seen by her classmates.

Back home, Xin Chen muttered "homework can't be done", while doing homework, Lu Fei sat and read a book, but for the first time in such a long time, the two of them were alone for the first time, and there seemed to be a different atmosphere in the air, and Lu Fei couldn't be as focused as usual.

Xin Chen asked him a math problem, he explained it to her, and before she knew it, she leaned into his arms, his pen moved more and more slowly on the paper, and her nose was full of the fresh and sweet smell of the girl from Xin Chen's body, she looked back suspiciously, "I didn't understand, how did this step come about......"

Before she could finish, his lips fell to hers. Unlike the previous lip contact between the two, Lu Fei hugged her tightly, sucked her lips, and in the blink of an eye, his tongue penetrated into her mouth, such an unprecedented close contact made the two of them beat faster, and at the same time had an electric shock-like feeling.

Lu Fei's kiss instinctively went deeper and deeper, and his hand began to move over her body, her skin was silky and delicate, and she trembled slightly in his arms, and he suddenly came to his senses and forced himself to let go of her. Xin Chen's eyes in front of him were misty, his white porcelain-like face was dyed red, and his red lips were shining under the lamp and were slightly swollen.

This scene was too tempting, Lu Fei stood up and hurried to the balcony, the autumn wind blew on the fiery face, he waited until he slowly calmed down and his heartbeat returned to normal before returning to the room. I saw Xin Chen crouching on the table again to do his homework, and when he heard him come in, he ignored him.

Lu Fei reached out and put his arm around her shoulder, and she pushed his hand sullenly, "If you don't want to kiss me, don't kiss me, why do you want to run away like this?" ”

He really couldn't explain the impulse he almost couldn't control just now, "Xiao Chen, do your homework well, I'll go back first." ”

Xin Chen was silent, the pen scribbled the homework book, Lu Fei sighed, picked her up and sat on his lap, and looked at her seriously, "Xiaochen, it feels good to kiss you, but I can't go on like this, otherwise I will violate my promise to your father, and I am sorry for Uncle Xin and Aunt Li." Looking at Xin Chen's blank expression, he didn't plan to say any more, otherwise it would make her even more upset, "Good, I'll solve this problem for you, you go to take a bath, rest early today, it's not too early." ”

Lu Fei did a good job of the question, and then covered the quilt for Xin Chen, who came back from washing, kissed her forehead, and was about to straighten up, Xin Chen stretched out his hands around his neck, and whispered in his ear: "Lu Fei, I like you to kiss me." ”

He used all his willpower to order himself to break free of her hand, and said in a dumb voice, "I'm leaving, and tomorrow morning I'll call you to get up and go to school and sleep well." ”

Lu Fei turned off the light, came out and closed the door and went downstairs, standing under the acacia tree whose leaves began to wither and yellow, looking up at the balcony on the second floor, the wonderful feeling seemed to linger on his lips. But he couldn't help but think that if he continued like this, it would probably be difficult for him to control himself. A 20-year-old boy, holding his beloved girl, no matter how rational he is, he can't convince himself not to have a physiological reaction, thinking back to the kiss just now, it is both sweet and a little fearful, and lust suddenly appears in such a powerful and strange way, he can't help but hesitate.

His little girl has grown up little by little unconsciously, such a tight and silky, youthful body, looking at it has already made his heart move, and then hugged in his arms, he can't bear to let go. He can only remind himself that you can't blaspheme her with your own desires.

Choosing to wait for such a girl to grow up is really a sweet torture. He looked up again and stared deeply, of course, enjoying the torment.

The past is like yesterday, and the world always seems to like to go the way of the most unexpected way. In less than a year, they have taken different paths. Without his waiting and waiting, Xin Chen still grew up, and as he had faintly hoped, he decided his life sensibly and responsibly, and even his hobbies were so healthy.

Xin Kaiyu looked at Lu Fei and looked very relaxed, "If you want to find Chenzi, call her, it's not a good way to wait like this." If you don't try, you never know, what's going to happen next. "And there's no shame in being rejected by my daughter." ”

Under the dim street lights, 44-year-old Xin Kaiyu still looks much younger than his actual age, but he no longer has the uninhibited and obvious eyes that are different from other family men who are fathers before. Lu Fei suddenly realized that the girl who looked like him was also full of temptation when she was 25 years old.

This is how time leaves its mark on everyone without mercy.

Lu Fei was speechless, Xin Kaiyu walked past him and went straight into the corridor. Lu Fei slowly let go of the fist he had been clenching, he was not afraid of Xin Chen's refusal, but after listening to Lin Yueqing's memories, he suddenly didn't know how to face her.