Those Steps We Walked Together

In the first class on Monday morning, the creation challenge officially started.

Cheng Kesong arrived in the classroom early, sat at the desk marked with groups, and looked through the creative requirements in his hand.

The key word of their group is "step", a simple word.They needed to create a short story with beginning and end around the word, a graphic survey of the steps, a storyboard from beginning to end of the story, and three fully colored hand-painted drawings.

"Good morning, Croissant."

Hugo came in from the classroom door, threw his schoolbag on the table, and leaned slightly to approach Cheng Kesong.

Cheng Kesong went up to meet him, touched Hugo's cheek and left.So two times, completed a veneer ceremony that can be seen everywhere in Paris.

"How about it, do you think this topic is difficult?" Hugo smiled.

Cheng Kesong's nostrils were still filled with the woody fragrance carried by the other party, and there was a hint of spicy tobacco, but it was not unpleasant.

"The steps, I don't think it's difficult."

"Indeed, steps can symbolize many things, and can also be extended to many meanings. It is a bridge connecting low places and high places, and it is also a tool for climbing upwards." Hugo sat on the table casually.

"Connection, bond, this one is good." Cheng Kesong said.

"There are actually many legends about stairs. Are there any fables or stories about stairs in China?" Hugo asked.

Cheng Kesong said with a smile: "In ancient China, the emperor would build the palace on a very high platform and make many steps, so that every time the officials went to court, it was like climbing a mountain. The magnificent scene will give people It left a very shocking impression in my heart, making people feel that the emperor is high and full of majesty."

Hugo raised his eyebrows slightly, and the drill nails flashed with his amazed expression: "It's like a pilgrimage, this can also be a direction!"

During the conversation, four other members of the group also arrived.

"Hey, good morning, Valentine! How was the battle yesterday?"

"Morning, Bruno. Don't mention yesterday, I just started the game less than 5 minutes ago, my mother sent me out to buy her onions..."

"Good morning, Leia!"

"Morning, Julia!"

"Good morning, Croissant." Julia went up to greet the team members one by one, then looked at Cheng Kesong, and said with a smile, "Yesterday Simon from your class came to me and said that you are 'all-powerful' Little croissants', expressing great envy of my good fortune."

Cheng Kesong said modestly: "I can only draw things, and I get a headache when I hear the research report."

Julia raised her eyebrows: "Just give the research report to Hugo, he is the best at doing this!"

Valentine interrupted at this point: "Well, what's the story of the stairs?"

These words immediately raised the atmosphere of Zhou's challenge.

After brainstorming for an hour, everyone decided that they should walk around Paris more, find some steps with characteristics or stories, take pictures or draw them, and prepare for future research reports.

Six students were divided into three groups, working in pairs, to do a graphical research on stairs.

"Cross, just come with me." Hugo said with a smile.

Cheng Kesong readily accepted.

The two packed up their things, Cheng Kesong brought a sketchbook and water-soluble colored pencils, and filled the fountain pen with water, and then walked out of the school with Hugo.

This is the first time he has walked side by side with Hugo.

Both Hugo and Cheng Kesong are nearly 1.8 meters tall. It is difficult to judge who is taller when they walk together.It's just that Cheng Kesong was keen on fitness when he was in China, and his muscles are well-proportioned, while Hugo looks a bit too skinny.He also prefers to wear some loose and casual styles, which makes his body appear more empty, as if the wind can blow people away just a little bit stronger.

But Hugo doesn't seem too weak because of this.His aura was not at all weaker because of his lean body and exquisite facial features, but instead carried a feeling of strength in the wind.

"Speaking of the steps in Paris, I don't have any ideas." Hugo said, "You just came here not long ago. Are there any steps that impress you?"

"Of course." Cheng Kesong laughed, "When I first arrived in Paris, there was a step that really gave me a headache."

"Tell me." Hugo stared intently at Cheng Kesong's eyes.

"At that time I was still living in the 94th province, and I rented a cheap house with nothing but a bed, so I had to go to IKEA to buy a desk by myself." Cheng Kesong said, "I thought the Paris subway There are elevators in the station, and the barrier-free facilities are in place, but I didn’t expect that it was in the subway station I transferred, which coincided with the elevator inspection.”

"So you have to carry the desk up the steps?"

"Yeah." Cheng Kesong laughed, "The point is, I bought not only a desk that day, but also a small bookshelf. Including packaging and some odds and ends, it weighs more than [-] kilograms. Walking from IKEA to where I live, I have to take two buses, one subway, and finally take a tram. And the steps are only two meters wide and very high..."

Hugo made an exaggerated expression on his exquisite face, and said in surprise: "That's really impressive!"

Cheng Kesong smiled.

"But you are in such a good shape, you should have a lot of strength." Hugo joked.

Cheng Kesong: "My figure is good?"

"Yes." Hugo smiled, and asked again: "You still live in 94 provinces?"

Cheng Kesong was taken aback for a moment, then shook his head: "I live in Porte de Versailles right now, on the No.12 line of the subway."

"It's very convenient to go to school."

The Montparnasse station closest to the school can be directly reached by the NO.12 line.

"Speaking of the steps of the subway station, the Louvre area is actually more interesting." Hugo said, "The subway steps there retain the ancient wrought iron handrails and wrought iron ceiling, which is very historically beautiful."

"I think Montparnasse is pretty good too. It's staggered up and down, with rich layers." Cheng Kesong laughed.

Hugo smiled too, his beautiful light brown eyes sparkling.

"So our theme today is the steps of the subway station? Is there any story to tell?"

The two of them have now walked into the Montparnasse station. Looking up, they can see the elevator and steps leading to the second-floor platform. The modern linear handrails extend on both sides of the steps, turn a corner, and continue upward.

Cheng Kesong stepped up a few steps in front of Hugo, turned around and looked at him condescendingly, and said, "The steps of the subway station can tell a story about encounters."

Hugo continued: "People here come and go in a hurry, and they don't notice each other at all, but if there is someone who always appears in your sight, you will inevitably pay attention to him. And taking the subway to work is a very regular life , it is not impossible to walk the same steps at the same time every day. So this is a love story?"

"Yes, love story."

Cheng Kesong looked at Hugo's eyes looking up through thick eyelashes, with a very serious tone.

Hugo's face suddenly changed: "Be careful!"

His voice and Cheng Kesong's scream sounded at the same time, Cheng Kesong subconsciously turned his head to look, but saw a huge suitcase sliding down the steps.In the blink of an eye, this heavy suitcase hit Cheng Kesong's calf hard.

Cheng Kesong immediately lost his balance and fell towards the steps.

Standing directly in front of him, Hugo took a step forward and embraced him in his arms.

But Cheng Kesong fell from a high place, and the force and weight caused Hugo to stagger, and his backward steps were missed.

The feeling of weightlessness came suddenly.In this short moment, even less than a second, Cheng Kesong only felt that the time seemed to be infinitely stretched-the two chests were tightly pressed at this moment, their breaths intersected, and they could hear each other because The frightening and incomparably clear heartbeat.

Cheng Kesong subconsciously turned around in an instant to protect Hugo above his body, stretched out his left hand to catch the guardrail beside the steps and held it tightly, and finally stabilized his body in a half-lying position on the steps.

Hugo leaned on him, with one hand over his shoulder resting on the ground of the steps.

The suitcase slid past the two of them and landed on the corner platform at the bottom of the steps without hesitation.

"Oh! My God! I'm so sorry!" A chubby lady stepped on high heels and came to the two of them immediately, with an apologetic and caring expression on her face, "Are you okay? Are you injured? Oh, I'm really sorry!"

Hugo propped himself up from Cheng Kesong, and stretched out his hand to pull Cheng Kesong up from the ground, his expression was not very good: "You should take the elevator with your luggage, it's dangerous!"

The lady apologized immediately.

Seeing Hugo and the lady arguing a few more words, Cheng Kesong pulled his arm: "Forget it, she didn't mean it."

Only then did Hugo agree to let him go.

"Are you okay?" When the perpetrator walked away, Hugo frowned and looked at Cheng Kesong.

Cheng Kesong turned his arms slightly, looked at the scraped flesh on his elbow: "I have to go to the pharmacy."

Hugo's expression changed immediately, he stepped forward and grabbed Cheng Kesong's wrist, lowered his head to carefully look at his wound.After a moment he looked up, annoyed.

"That lady should compensate you for your medicine!"

"It's okay, it's just a minor injury." Cheng Kesong smiled indifferently.

The Montparnasse Metro Station is an important transportation hub in Paris. It connects the train station and is divided into three areas.There is a lot of space in the station, and there are many shops in it.You can easily find essential stores like pharmacies, which are scattered all over the streets of Paris.

The two bought disinfectant at the pharmacy at the station, and found the bathroom to clean the wound.

Holding the cotton wool, Hugo carefully helped Cheng Kesong wipe the skin around the wound.

"How do you feel, does it hurt?"

"It's okay, it's not serious." Cheng Kesong said with a smile.

Hugo worried: "Can I still go out and paint from life?"

"It didn't hurt the bone, it's just a little bit of skin." Cheng Kesong really didn't care.

Hugo didn't answer.

Cheng Kesong tried to divert the other party's attention: "Since you said that the subway steps in the Louvre Museum are very distinctive, let's go to the Louvre Museum. I remember that there are also various steps in the Louvre Museum, including the surrounding ones. For sculptures, we can draw a few sketches and put them in the research report in the future.”

This trick was very effective, and Hugo raised his head and smiled when he heard it.

"Okay, let's go."