Yu Chengsong picked up his phone and started to do some questions while glancing at the door of the master bedroom from the corner of his eye.
The door didn’t open until Yu Chengdi put down his chopsticks.
Well, this is to wait for him to leave and steal the house.
After finishing his meal, Yu Chengdi glanced at his elder brother before leaving.
Yu Chengsong followed closely behind him and raised his hand to hold the door open when Yu Chengdi was about to close it.
“What?” Yu Chengdi looked up and glared at him.
“Pack your schoolbag and homework.” Yu Chengsong’s eyes never left his phone.
“Packing the schoolbag for what?” Yu Chengdi continued to glare at him. His pair of almond-shaped eyes were exactly the same as Yu Chengsong’s, but because he had not grown up yet, his eyes lacked his brother’s sharpness and instead looked more ferocious.
“I will countdown for half a minute.” Yu Chengsong stretched out two fingers with his left hand. “30, 29, 28, 22, 18, 10, 6…”
When he counted to 29, Yu Chengdi ran to the table as if he had been electrocuted and started stuffing things into his schoolbag. When his wicked big brother jumped the count to 0, he just stood in front of the door with his schoolbag on his back, gasping for breath.
It’s not because tired, but anxious.
Yu Chengsong has been like this since he was a child. If he says countdown, then he will count. If he hadn’t finished by the time the counting was done, he would absolutely, absolutely, absolutely make fun of him in various ways for a month.
To the extent that Yu Chengdi has now developed a conditioned reflex to take action immediately when Yu Chengsong starts counting.
“Let’s go.” Yu Chengsong put away his phone and turned around.
“To where?” Yu Chengdi tightened the strap of his schoolbag. His short legs were already lame, and he couldn’t catch up with his elder brother even after running a few steps.
Yu Chengsong didn’t say anything, went back to the room, got his earphones and went out.
“Get on.” Yu Chengsong stepped on the bicycle and looked at Yu Chengdi lazily.
Yu Chengdi climbed onto the back seat, and he was very dignified not to hug his brother’s waist. Then Yu Chengsong stepped hard, and the bike rushed out. Frightened, he hugged Yu Chengsong tightly.
Apart from the sound of the wind, the only sound in his ears was his elder brother’s merciless mocking laughter, which lasted for half the journey.
When they arrived downstairs at Zhou Zheyu’s house, Yu Chengdi’s ears and neck were completely red.
Yu Chengsong led his brother to knock on the door. It was Mother Zhou who opened the door. She smiled when she saw them. “Come in quickly. You must have come by bike. Chengdi’s face has turned red. Zheyu hasn’t gotten up yet. He’s like a pig. Have you two eaten?”
“We’ve eaten.” Yu Chengsong pushed Yu Chengdi in. “Auntie, I won’t go in. He will be doing his homework at your house today, you can just throw him in Zheyu’s room, I’ll come pick him up in the evening.”
“Okay.” Mother Zhou frowned. “If it’s not convenient at your place, you two can just stay here today, I’ll let your uncle go out and spend the night.”
“Not to that extent.” Yu Chengsong smiled. “I’m leaving first, Auntie.”
“Go, have dinner at my house tonight ah. Auntie will stew pork ribs.”
“Okay.”
Yu Chengsong turned around and went downstairs. He took out a piece of candy from his pocket, peeled it, and put it in his mouth. The sweet, milky aroma spread, but it couldn’t stop the irritability emanating from the depths of his heart.
When he was kicked out of the house by his mother as a child and had nowhere to go, he came to Zhou Zheyu’s house, flattering for food, drink, and sleep. Unexpectedly, now that he doesn’t have to beg for anything, Yu Chengdi has once again followed his path.
It seemed like there was always a lack of room for the two of them at home, as if the two of them occupied 800 square meters and could not even fit in the house of 120 square meters.
Just for someone who has been dead for eight hundred years, the living will suffer for the rest of their lives.
Why?
On the first weekend after moving to Xiyuan City, Yin Gu woke up very early as usual. His biological clock was engraved in his bones, allowing him to wind up and open his eyes on time every morning.
It was like there was an invisible thread that was tightly wrapped around him, controlling his every move, even if he escaped here on a plane.
The neighborhood is so old that he used up all the water in the water heater when taking a shower last night. This morning, there was only cold water. It was so cold that the moment it splashed on his face, he forgot about the boundary and was left with only a refreshed feeling.
He shook off the water droplets on his face and raised his head. The face in the mirror was not wearing glasses, and there was a faint green color under the eyes.
Maybe he wasn’t used to the bed, or maybe he wasn’t used to the air. In any case, he hadn’t slept well for three days already.
He returned to the bedroom, opened the curtains, and the sunlight suddenly came in.
The room seemed to become warmer all of a sudden.
Yin Gu was stunned for a while before he adjusted to the unfamiliar street scene in front of him.
The house is on the fourth floor, with a wide view. In the distance, one can see the building of No. 1 Middle School, facing the national flag. There is a class on the third floor with its window open, and the curtains are fluttering, swaying enchantingly in the wind.
Today is Saturday, so no class.
Yin Gu suddenly felt a little confused about what to do. In the past, he was used to staying out with friends on weekends, taking a part-time job, or, of course he could just stay at home.
But this home… he hasn’t gotten used to it yet.
Let’s go out for a walk.
To see how this land with simple folk customs gave birth to such an unsimplistic person like his deskmate.
He couldn’t help laughing, and then he was confused for a moment. Why should he hold back?
Yin Gu opened the wardrobe, where several sets of clothes were scattered around. He left in a hurry and did not have time to pack his luggage carefully, so he forgot to take many things with him.
He habitually took out the same black sportswear as Yu Chengsong, and just as he was about to change, he remembered what Yu Chengsong was wearing yesterday—dark blue sportswear.
He put the clothes back, picked up a gray sweatshirt, put on a black loose jacket, and picked up a pair of black sweatpants and put them together casually. It’s better not to wear the same clothes as him, in case his deskmate also has the same clothes as him, and he has to buy new clothes because of him.
Fight to make money, get hurt and buy medicine, spend all the money, and continue to fight to make money…
He held onto the wardrobe and laughed for a long time.
Maybe because it was next to the school, there was a snack street right outside the community—it can barely be considered a community, it doesn’t even have a gate, it’s just a few similar-looking buildings put together.
There are many shops on both sides of the street. Although there’s no need for him to consider the sanitary conditions because he can even smell the problem with his nose, but the food tastes good. He has been eating here for the past two days.
When you are in Rome, do as the Romans do. The uncle selling buns told him yesterday, “It’s not clean, but you won’t get sick if you eat it!”
But Yin Gu didn’t plan to eat here today. He wanted to take a walk somewhere far away.
Last time, he walked along the snack street with his back to the school and turned left at the intersection. After turning five intersections, he met Yu Chengsong at “Drink Milk Tea.”
This time, he turned right.
The phone in his pocket suddenly buzzed.
Yin Gu frowned.
At this time, this special reminder sound instantly shattered the “happy mood” that started from when he opened the curtains and saw the sunlight into egg drop soup. It’s even worse than the bowl of egg drop soup he drank from the breakfast shop yesterday morning.
He paused in his movement to turn right, took out his cell phone, and changed direction.
His dad’s message was still brief, to the point that adding one more word would be a charity to his own son.
-Enough reflection?
Enough? Yin Gu took a breath of the cool morning air. It hadn’t even started yet. These past two days of school life were so simple and happy that he forgot to reflect on himself.
He tapped the screen with his fingers and replied.
-Not enough.
There was no movement from the other side for a long time. He probably didn’t expect that the days of exile would not only make this “good boy” feel afraid, but they would also make him even more rebellious.
That’s right, rebellious. In the eyes of his parents, everything he does and says now is a sudden rebellion, not a normal decision for an 18-year-old adult.
When he is in a bad mood, he will choose to empty his mind to calm himself down quickly, but he will keep on walking, as exercise can also help him vent his emotions.
So Yin Gu walked with his head down, not knowing how many turns he had made. When he came out of his own world, he saw a bustling vegetable market in front of him.
There is no roof, no room, only open-air stalls one after another. Some even directly spread a piece of plastic film on the ground and placed the vegetables on it.
A few steps ahead of him was a seafood vendor, the temperature hadn’t risen completely yet, so the smell wasn’t that unbearable.
He thought about it and stepped into this place that he had never even glanced at before.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
The landlord had a refrigerator at home, it was left to him. He could buy some fruit to supplement his vitamins, iced watermelon would be fine too…
Yin Gu randomly picked a fruit stall and was picking and choosing among the pile of apples when suddenly someone called out from behind.
“Yin Gu?”
He wasn’t sure why, but after hearing this voice, Yin Gu’s nerves, which had been tense all the time, suddenly relaxed, and the corners of his mouth were raised when he turned around.
Yu Chengsong wanted to come and buy some food to bring to Zhou Zheyu’s house. After all, he had to take Yu Chengdi to eat every now and then. Auntie didn’t mind whether he went empty-handed or not, but he did mind.
After paying the money, he turned around and saw a familiar figure. Although he had only seen him two days ago and Yin Gu had changed his clothes, he still recognized him at a glance because of the similar temperament in Yin Gu.
As for why he took the initiative to say hello, well, there’s nothing he can do, Brother Song was just so enthusiastic.
In fact, he was just too lazy to be alone, and finally someone came, so he said a few words to join in the fun.
“Why didn’t the good kid review your studies in the morning and come to the vegetable market instead?” Yu Chengsong said as he walked towards him.
“Same here.” Yin Gu laughed, and Yu Chengsong noticed that he was not wearing glasses today.
“Where are your glasses?” Yu Chengsong took out a tomato from a plastic bag and threw it to him.
People with phoenix eyes always have a smiling face, and Yin Gu is one of them. When he smiles, he has a kind of gentleness that no one can resist. When he looks at someone, he brings a buff of affection. Although this kind of eye will have the same effect even when they looked at telephone poles, the person being looked at usually has no time to think about anything else.
However, this effect did not appear when Yin Gu took off his glasses. Yu Chengsong glanced at him twice, and he still looked like he was smiling, but it was a half-smile. In a nutshell, he looked unfriendly.
Comfortable, much more comfortable.
“I didn’t wear it out because I wasn’t in class.” Yin Gu took the tomato, put it in the plastic bag containing the apples, scanned the code to pay and said, “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me. If you are really moved by a tomato, just kowtow to me.” Yu Chengsong said.
“Then I won’t thank you anymore.” Yin Gu picked up the apple, turned to look at him, and asked with a smile, “Have you eaten?”
“I have eaten.” Yu Chengsong also looked at him. “But if you want to treat me, I can have another meal.”
Yin Gu laughed, took out an apple from his pocket, and handed it to him. “You choose the place.”
Yu Chengsong took the apple and tossed it in his hand. After a while, he pointed to a hot pot restaurant in front of the market with his chin. “Let’s go.”
“Hotpot for breakfast?” Yin Gu asked, but he had already started walking towards the hotpot shop.
“We should have a f*cking hotpot in the morning.” Yu Chengsong whispered, a flash of displeasure on his face. “Fight poison with poison, get rid of heat.”
Yin Gu paused for a moment. “Indeed, now that you mention it, I want to eat it too.”
