Xie Chen seems to be busy with something recently, and his whole person is mysterious, and he doesn't talk much when he returns home. I took the initiative to run to him several times and ask him, but he just said to me, "Go back to sleep" and "I'm busy!" ”

Every time it was so perfunctory, even Sister Xu told me privately several times that Xie Chen's whereabouts have always been very secretive recently, often going out alone and then coming back very late. Every day in my room, I pricked up my ears to listen to his every movement, and every time he went out, a stopwatch automatically appeared in my heart, and every time he beat it refreshed the torment. When I heard him return, there was a new round of nervousness, which reached a new peak every time I heard his footsteps pass by the door of my room, and it was not until he returned to his room in the evening that my tense nerves relaxed a little. He rarely came to my room to see me, at most he knocked on my door occasionally to make sure I was at home and left. Actually, I wish he had looked at me like a prisoner like he had done before, or that he would have nothing to do to make me angry.

The weather was getting hotter, and I came back from school every day and sat in a cool, air-conditioned room to pass the time. When Xie Chen was busy with his own affairs, I had a lot more free time, and I went back to my brother's house every two days.

I just came back from my brother's house that day, and it was rare to find Xie Chen at home. Normally, he doesn't come back so early, so I quickly brought out a bowl of white fungus soup from the refrigerator and brought it to him. He was sitting in front of the computer when I entered, busy typing on the keyboard. When he saw me walk in, he closed the computer and asked, "What is it?" ”

"I made some white fungus soup at noon, chilled, you can taste it!" He took my bowl, and when I saw that he had lost a lot of weight, I asked distressedly, "Have you been busy lately?" Look at you go out early and return late all day, are you in trouble in business? ”

He didn't seem to have much appetite, so he picked up the spoon and scooped it casually twice before putting the bowl aside, "You don't have to worry about it, it's not a big deal." ”

"Tell me about it, maybe I can help you share some of it." I don't give up.

He was amused by me, but there was not much spirit in his smile, "What can you help me with?" There are some things that I can't afford as a big man, let alone you. ”

He said half-jokingly, half-self-deprecating, and then looked at me with a different look. I've seen these looks a few times before, and they feel strange to me, but I can't tell what's wrong. He said: "Lin Xing, in fact, I really regret it sometimes. ”

"Regret what?"

"I regret a lot of things." He looked away and looked at the large floor-to-ceiling windows on the side, the night outside had already darkened, and there were only a few sparse cries in the distance, "I think if I could choose again, I would definitely not let me work so hard." ”

His eyes were heavy, and his black pupils were full of sadness that did not match his age, but I was too wooden back then to understand the true meaning of his words. Actually, I don't seem to really understand him.

When he said this, I reflexively replied, "Then don't do it!" Anyway, you're almost making enough money, and you won't starve to death for the rest of your life. ”

I said this nonchalantly, in fact, I wanted to relieve him of some pressure, and he seemed surprised by my reaction, looked at me and shook his head lightly and smiled, "So I said, you are too stupid." ”

I was not convinced, "Where am I stupid?" Am I wrong? If you want to stop doing business, who can force you to do it? Besides, you're not an illegal smuggler at all, so what's there to be afraid of? If you want me to say, you should wash your hands as soon as possible, and then marry a wife and have a lot of children! ”

I said these words to him with a hippie smile, and he just didn't look away from me, not taking my joke to heart at all. The hoarse scream from the outside was upset, and he waited for a while before he spoke, "You're so stupid. ”

I'm disdainful. He sighed faintly again, "But you are nothing compared to me when I was younger, I was more stupid than you when I was young." ”

I felt as if he had something to say, so I pricked up my ears and listened. But his words were to the point, and finally I thought of the villa and the bare picture frame, so I tentatively asked, "Have you hurt anyone?" ”

My mind began to wander, and I couldn't wait to prove my previous conjectures. He turned his head abruptly, his brows furrowed together, and it was evident that my inquiry had provoked him, and he had no desire to continue with me, and sent me out impatiently.

And just like that, my attempt to get closer to him ultimately failed. It just so happened that the school was approaching the summer vacation, and all subjects had to be completed for exams, and the teachers and students were all ready to review. Our professional course teacher is more humane and told us all the content to be tested in the exam, so our review amount has been greatly reduced.

It was at this time that our old Russian professor suddenly approached me and said that he knew a piano professor who wanted to make an electronic CD about the "memory of the Soviet Union". The old professor recommended me to the city, hoping that my best book, "Evening on the Outskirts of Moscow", would be selected. He said that his friend would send the CD to a piano association in Russia, and if I had a chance to be shortlisted, he would be invited to study in Russia for a year. In fact, the piano is just a tool for me to pass the time, and I have no intention of studying on it. Although the old professor always praised me for my talent, only I knew that the piano was not my dream, but my deepest sorrow.

At first, I wanted to refuse, but after all, the old professor taught me so much, so I should give him a face, so I agreed. I used my pocket money to buy the cheapest electronic keyboard, and during the day I spent in the school and the library to review my homework, and at night I would sit in my room and practice. The sound quality of the electronic piano is not as good as that of the piano, and I just want to be familiar with the fingering, so I don't use much of my mind on it, so the music I play is simply unbearable. In order not to disturb other people's love of music, I would close the doors and windows and close the curtains every time I practiced. Fortunately, Xie Chen's house was in the suburbs, and there were not many neighbors around, so I let go of my courage and played wildly.