know the enemy

When he was about eight or nine years old, as long as he did something wrong, he would be locked into the utility room by Mu Zhangcheng.

Mu Zhangcheng said that he is too stubborn and should be strict.Chu Yue disapproved, but she didn't care about the family affairs, so she could only watch Mu Wenran walk in.

When he was locked up as a child, Mu Wenran often stared at the door of the utility room, until the punishment was over, Chu Yue opened the door and softly told him to come out.

She would hug him, stroke his hair, and say, "Xiao Ran, be obedient and stop fighting, okay?"

At that time, he was willing to open his mouth and explain to her: "They are the first to do it."

Chu Yue would put her index finger on his lips and say, "I know, I know, promise mom not to fight again, okay?"

"……it is good."

No one wanted to hear his explanation.

But the mother is very gentle, and only the mother is gentle to him.

Mu Wencheng was also imprisoned, only a few times, because he was afraid, and kept crying inside. After a few times, he never dared to disobey Mu Zhangcheng, and even feared his father tremblingly.

Mu Wenran was different, he only knocked on the door from the inside when he entered for the first time, and called out to his father, Mu Zhangcheng said, "I won't open the door for you." Mu Wenran then remained silent.

He is always taciturn, not as lively and lovable as Mu Wencheng, and he often makes mistakes.

After the age of nine, Mu Wenran was rarely pushed into that room, but he was also less talkative and more gloomy than before.

Mu Zhangcheng felt that it was ugly for him to have a straight face at such a young age, and he often accused Chu Yue of not teaching his son well.

He even said bluntly that he couldn't eat when he saw Mu Wenran's face, and asked him who to show his temper, and took him directly to the utility room, so that when he could smile again, he would come out again.

At that time, Mu Zhangcheng and Chu Yue were always arguing about Mu Wenran. Chu Yue said that Mu Zhangcheng should not be so strict, and Mu Zhangcheng said that Chu Yue doted on children. They were all blaming each other.

With the TV on, Mu Wencheng sat on the sofa and tilted his head with a smile: "Brother, they are arguing again because of you."

Mu Wenran just glanced at him and ignored him.

The two brothers are the same kind of people, they are equally bad, but Mu Wencheng is better at disguising, and Mu Wenran doesn't bother to pretend.

So Mu Wenran is not really afraid of the dark, but just doesn't like the dark.

The darkness made him uncomfortable, but not unbearable.

He puts many lamps in his house, just a habit, not a necessity.

No one had ever asked him if he was afraid of the dark. Mu Zhangcheng didn't care, and Chu Yue didn't notice.He didn't tell anyone about it, and he didn't feel scared, he just... didn't like it.

But Luke cried and asked him, "Aren't you afraid of the dark?"

He hesitated at that moment, perhaps because he was afraid, that's why he stared at the door as a child, hoping that someone would push it open, hoping that light would seep in.

I wish someone could pull him out of that dark, narrow room.

But no one.

Even the night when Chu Yue made up his mind to divorce and walked away with his luggage, he didn't say anything, but just stood there, being hugged by Chu Yue.

She asked him tearfully: "You don't blame mom, do you? Mom really can't bring you two together..."

He was the one left behind, that's all.

The power outage didn't last long, and soon the living room lights came on.

Lu Jia couldn't shed tears anymore, especially when he heard Mu Wenran say that he was locked in the storage room, he held his breath until Mu Wenran's words fell completely, and he asked in a low voice, "Can I turn around?" His back is now facing Mu Wenran.

Mu Wenran said, "Yes."

Luke asked again, "Then can I hug you?"

Mu Wenran smiled: "Yes."

So Lu Jia turned around and hugged Mu Wenran gently.

Just after crying, he hiccups from time to time, looking pitiful.

Mu Wenran looked down at the head lying on his chest, "Still crying?"

Lu Jia patted Mu Wenran on the back, "You are so miserable."

Mu Wenran couldn't help laughing out loud: "I didn't know you cared so much about the lights in my room, I wish I could have made it clear to you earlier."

It's just that they all understand that only now is the right time.Too early to confess, too late to speak.

Lu Jia looked up at him, looking like a little adult: "Just smile, just smile more."

Mu Wenran really couldn't help it, he lowered his head against his shoulder and laughed.

Lu Jia: "Tell me if you're not happy... It's best to tell me everything, I want to hear everything. Hey, is it wrong to say that? Anyway, as long as you are willing to talk, I will listen to everything."

Mu Wenran never learned how to keep him, nor would he beg his mother to take him away like Mu Wencheng did.

He never owned anything and was not afraid of losing.

So he knew better that his things should be held firmly in his hands.

"Lu Jia." Mu Wenran murmured the boy's name, tenderly and affectionately.

"Ok?"

"Are you stupid?"

"You are stupid."

Mu Wenran raised his head: "You should go home."

"Oh...oh." Luke realized later, seeing the clock on the wall, "It's already so late."

After going to the entrance to get his coat, Lu Jia still worried and asked, "Are you alright by yourself?"

Mu Wenran was helpless: "How old am I?"

"Seventeen."

Luke put on his hat and muttered, "Then I'm worried about you, don't let me worry."

"say what?"

Lu Jia grinned, "I didn't say anything, brother."

He hadn't called Mu Wenran "brother" for a long time, and Mu Wen knew he was lying when he heard it. In fact, he also heard Lu Jia muttering something.

Mu Wenran leaned against the shoe cabinet and suddenly smiled.

Lu Jia was stunned: "Why?"

"Don't you want me to smile more?" Mu Wenran tilted his head, "Smile for you."

Lu Jia: "...you don't look good when you smile, brother, stop laughing."

Mu Wenran continued to laugh: "Understood."

"No, no, no, you don't know anything." Lu Jia said "no" several times in a row, and finally pulled down the brim of his hat, feeling embarrassed.

"Lu Jia." Mu Wenran called him again, "Go slowly and tell me when you get home."

Luke nodded: "Then I'm leaving."

The door closed, and within two seconds, it was opened again.

Lu Jia rushed in rashly: "I'm still worried about you! Can I live here today?"

He finally stepped in.

"……Can."

And Mu Wenran would never reject Lu Jia.

That night, the two chatted a lot intermittently, and it was Lu Jia who was basically asking, and Mu Wenran answered.

Mu Wenran also took the initiative to say some things, such as his parents divorced and he has a twin brother.Lu Jia knew all these things, but he still talked about his situation politely.

"...When I was young, I was ignorant and often beat Bai Yi." Lu Jia sat cross-legged on the bed, "He can cry better than me... Why are you looking at me like that, I'm serious!" Mu Wenran's eyes were teasing, he really said Can't go on, "I'm crying... I'm crying from the bottom of my heart... You can't laugh!"

Luke was furious.

Mu Wenran leaned against the edge of the bed and smiled for a while before saying, "When I was your age, I used to fight a lot."

Chu Yue enrolled him and Mu Wencheng in interest classes, including martial arts and taekwondo. Mu Wenran has always been there, and he has a little background.Later, Mu Zhangcheng and Chu Yue divorced, and no one in the family cared about him anymore. In those years, he was very angry and often fought outside.

Mu Wenran didn't tell anyone about it, and Lu Jia was the first person to know about it.

Luke's eyes widened in surprise: "You? Fighting?"

Mu Wenran thought that Lu Jia didn't like it, so he remained silent for a while.

But Luke asked again: "Did you win?"

"……Um."

"That's good."

"..."

Under the illumination of the light, Lu Jia's body was covered with a layer of warm orange, and he seemed to be able to make small stars in the blink of an eye, twinkling and twinkling, as if it still smelled like candy.

Mu Wen looked at it for a while, then raised his hand and patted Lu Jia's head.

Lu Jia looked puzzled: "Why did you hit me?"

"No fights."

"Don't fight, how can you be so rebellious and uninhibited like you."

Mu Wenran had nothing to do with him.

The children are getting skinnier.

Early the next morning, Bai Yi called Lu Jia, gritted his teeth and said, "You know it's over?"

Luke: "...just found out."

"You didn't go back yesterday, Mom has already started to doubt me!"

"I suspected it early in the morning. Auntie is not a fool. You go out almost every Saturday, and you come back late at night."

"It's your fault anyway!"

"what?"

"It's because you didn't come home yesterday that Mom doubted me. Tell me about you, why do you keep running to other people's houses? Other people's houses are so good."

"...I'm going to beat you up."

Bai Yi: "Hmph."

After hanging up the phone, Lu Jia ran back upstairs and bowed to Mu Wenran with folded hands.

Mu Wenran: "What are you doing?"

Luke: "You are a good man."

Mu Wenran: "..."

Mu Wenran is really a super nice person, he played such a temper, Mu Wenran didn't beat him.

Bai Yi's snort really made Lu Jia's scalp tingle, and he wished he could go home and kick Bai Yi immediately.