Solitary

He Jiqing stayed up all night, not only because he was rushing to finish the manuscript, but also because Lin Shu was worried.Before dawn, he drove to Hohai University.

The campus in the early morning is quiet, shrouded in white mist in winter.He walked around the school, and only called Lin Shu when there were more and more students on the way.

The phone rang for a long time before it was picked up, and Lin Shu's voice became hoarse again: "It's so early!"

He asked Lin Shu, "Are you awake?"

"Just woke up, ready to brush your teeth." Lin Shu climbed out of bed with the phone in hand, shivering from the cold.

He Jiqing smiled when he heard the movement: "It's cold outside today, wear more."

Lin Shu responded vaguely, and went into the bathroom with her mobile phone.

He Jiqing heard the sound of running water, teeth brushing, and water pumping.When all the sound of the water stopped, I heard Lin Shu sucking in the air-conditioning, and said tremblingly on purpose: "It's really cold, why is there no heating in Nanjing?!"

"Do you want to have breakfast with me?" He Jiqing asked him.

Lin Shu sighed: "I think so too."

"Then you wear a pair of warm shoes, I'm in—" He Jiqing looked around and continued, "Near Gate No. [-]."

Lin Shu was shocked: "Really?"

He Jiqing said, "Why don't we wechat video?"

He heard Lin Shu curse in a low voice: "Damn!" Then the phone was hung up.

A few minutes later, Lin Shu, who was dressed like a ball, stood in front of him. He came on a small yellow car, his face was flushed by the cold wind.The feet are finally no longer the pair of pull-backs, and replaced by Converse leather, but it still doesn't look warm enough.

"Why did you come here without saying anything!" Lin Shu didn't seem surprised, but was more surprised.He stood still a few steps away, keeping a distance from He Jiqing.

"I'm worried about you." He Jiqing stared at his shoes: "Don't you have thick shoes?"

Lin Shu stomped her feet and looked around. At the same time, she pulled up her down jacket to cover half of her face: "There is hair inside. Where is your car parked?"

He looks a little nervous.

"The parking lot at the entrance." He Jiqing stretched out his hand as he spoke.

Lin Shu thought that he was going to hold him, so she turned slightly to hide.

He Jiqing's hand stopped halfway: "There is something on your clothes!"

Lin Shu looked down and saw a piece of white ash rubbed off from somewhere on his arm. He wiped it off by himself, but he didn't dare to look at He Jiqing.

The two fell silent for a while, and people kept passing by the roadside.When the female students saw He Jiqing, they all showed amazed expressions, and they kept looking back after walking away.

Lin Shu wished he could bury his head in his down jacket, when he heard He Jiqing ask him, "Are you going to eat outside of school?"

He nodded silently, and He Jiqing said, "Let's go."

The two left the school one after the other, He Jiqing asked Lin Shu to wait by the side of the road, and he drove over.A few minutes later, He Jiqing's car arrived, and the first thing Lin Shu said when getting into the car was, "I'm sorry."

He Jiqing smiled lightly: "You don't need to apologize to me."

Lin Shu still lowered his head and continued to say sorry.

"I know, you are not ready to let others know about our relationship." He Jiqing said.The love between men and men is not acceptable to everyone, he understands it all too well.He understood and accepted Lin Shu's concerns.

Lin Shu responded with a barely audible "Yes".

"Should no one know that you like boys, right?" He Jiqing guessed that Lin Shu didn't look like the kind of person who would take the initiative to tell others that he was gay.

Sure enough, Lin Shu nodded.

"When did you find out?" He Jiqing asked.

Lin Shu shook his head: "I don't know either."

He naturally discovered his own differences, and naturally accepted his own differences, and quickly found a way to deal with this difference. As long as he kept a distance from everyone, he could avoid all kinds of troubles.

"I'm a university." He Jiqing said.

Lin Shu looked at him, He Jiqing hadn't shaved his beard today, his hair was tied up casually, and he was wearing an outdated black thick overcoat, but even so, he was still eye-catching on the road.

"I'm earlier than you." Lin Shu said.

"For the time being, no one knows that I like men too." He Jiqing said again.

Lin Shu looked at him in surprise, he felt that he did not understand what he said.He Jiqing didn't continue talking, but asked him: "What happened to you last night?"

"I'm having a nightmare." Lin Shu didn't dare to look at He Jiqing, lowered his head and cracked his knuckles, making noises.After sleeping, he also calmed down. He realized that he was too impulsive last night. He regretted it very much and could only remedy it by lying.

He Jiqing suddenly understood the boy's real sense of despair in the middle of the night.He didn't ask Lin Shu what kind of nightmare it was, and didn't want him to recall it again.He just grabbed his hand and told him: "It's just a dream, don't take it too seriously."

His trust made Lin Shu ashamed, he clasped his fingers with his backhand, and said softly: "Well, I know."

He Jiqing took Lin Shu to Qingdao Road near Nanda, and found a small porridge shop, where they ordered a bowl of sweet potato porridge, served with steamed stuffed buns and deep-fried dough sticks.

Lin Shu told He Jiqing: "In Dongshan Island, sweet potato porridge is also known as sweet potato porridge, and sweet potato porridge is sold everywhere."

"Why does everyone sell sweet potato porridge?" He Jiqing asked him curiously.

Lin Shu had never thought about this question before, so she shook her head and said she didn't know.He Jiqing said: "You can ask your parents some other day."

Lin Shu pouted: "They probably don't know either."

"Maybe your side is rich in sweet potatoes." He Jiqing said.

Lin Shu shook his head: "Our house is surrounded by the sea, with little land, and there are more fishermen than farmers."

"There are seas on all sides, so it must be very beautiful." He Jiqing searched Dongshan Island on the Internet, and it looked pretty good.

"It's really not bad, anyway, it's better than the sea in Xiamen." Lin Shu smiled.

"It should be pretty, take me to see it when you have time." He Jiqing has been to Xiamen, and he has only a mediocre impression of the sea in Xiamen.After he finished speaking, he saw that Lin Shu's eating porridge stopped obviously.

"Let's talk about it later." Lin Shu answered vaguely with porridge in his mouth.

He Jiqing originally wanted to invite him to have a meal with his family on the weekend, but after thinking about it, he decided to forget it, he was afraid of scaring him.

After breakfast, He Jiqing sent Lin Shu back to school. There was an activity in his class in the morning, and the monitor said that no one should be missing, credits would be deducted, and senior credits are very important.

When they arrived at the school gate, Lin Shu hesitated to get out of the car again, he grabbed He Jiqing's hand and didn't let go.

He Jiqing looked at him with a smile, no matter what, the boy really liked him.

"Well, there are classes in the afternoon. There are classes tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, and there are only one or two classes. These teachers are really strange, why don't they arrange the classes together." Lin Shu complained dissatisfiedly, as long as there are classes, he can't do anything He went to look for He Jiqing, but there was no way to go to his house.He wanted to be with He Jiqing, not to be separated for a second.

He Jiqing squeezed his palm: "By this time next year, you won't even have the chance to go to class."

Lin Shu's heart skipped a beat, and he held He Jiqing even harder.By this time next year, he will never be able to hold this man again.

He Jiqing felt his nervousness and asked him, "When will your afternoon class end?"

"About six o'clock." Lin Shu thought for a while and answered.

"I'll pick you up and go to my house at night." He Jiqing looked at him.

Lin Shu saw the obvious red blood in his eyes, and finally shook his head: "No, you have something to do."

"It's okay, I want to be with you." He Jiqing said.

Lin Shu touched his eyes: "I don't want to affect your work, nor your rest." He didn't want to be He Jiqing's burden.

He Jiqing hugged him and kissed his forehead.Lin Shu was buried in his arms, smelling the familiar smell, and was even more reluctant to get out of the car.

In the end, Lin Shu still left.He Jiqing drove home, and halfway through the drive, he received a call from his mother, Sun Xiang, asking him to go home for lunch.

He turned the car around and went home. On the way, he kept thinking that he should tell them all about him and Lin Shu in advance.He returned home with anticipation, and perhaps a little desire to show off, but in short, he was happy.

His mother, Sun Xiang, opened the door for him, and was shocked to see his slovenly appearance.He seldom returns home with this appearance, neither Sun Xiang nor He Xiatian rarely sees him like this.

Sun Xiang stood at the door and asked him, "Why did you become like this?"

He Jiqing said, "I just went to meet a friend."

"Did you fight?" Sun Xiang still blocked the door.

He Jiqing said helplessly: "Mom, don't you want me to come in?"

Sun Xiang let him enter the room sideways this time, and kept saying while he was changing his shoes: "You said that you are usually fine, why did you suddenly become like this! I should have told you in advance if I knew, now How can you see people like this!"

He Jiqing asked her, "Who are you seeing?"

Sun Xiang smiled unnaturally: "That's Teacher Li. She has a niece who just came back from studying abroad and wants to meet you."

He Jiqing stopped, and Sun Xiang saw his face change, and hurriedly explained: "Actually, it's nothing, just seeing you. I know you might not like it, but I can't help it if I have to see you."

"I have a boyfriend." He Jiqing didn't expect to confess in this situation, it was different from what he expected.

"What?" Sun Xiang felt that he didn't hear clearly.

He Jiqing repeated: "I have a boyfriend!"

"Boyfriend!" Sun Xiang understood, and his whole body exploded: "What are you talking about? Boyfriend?"

"Yes." He Jiqing looked coldly at the shocked Sun Xiang, he thought that if it wasn't for this time, she probably wouldn't be so surprised.After all, neither she nor her father, He Xiatian, care about his affairs.

"Why a boyfriend?" Sun Xiang still didn't respond.

He Jiqing sighed: "A boyfriend is a boyfriend. His name is Lin Shu, and he is a student."

Sun Xiang stared at him in disbelief. She still couldn't believe that her perfect eldest son had a boyfriend.

"So, you don't need to introduce me any more, and there's no need to eat today's meal." He Jiqing turned to leave.

Sun Xiang pulled him back: "Don't go, they have already made an appointment with me, and they are already on their way here. Your father's dishes are all ready."

"Call Annian." He Jiqing pulled Sun Xiang away, determined to leave.

Sun Xiang stomped his feet anxiously, and He Xiatian, who was busy in the kitchen, ran out, but He Jiqing had already left.He asked Sun Xiang, "Why did Ji Qing leave?"

Sun Xiang looked at him sadly, not knowing how to answer him.In the end, he still called He Annian, who was at work, to come back to save the scene.

As soon as He Jiqing returned home, he received a WeChat message from He Annian.

"Mom asked me to ask you, when will you be free to take your boyfriend home for dinner?"

He Jiqing replied: "I'll ask him."

He Annian sent a long message: "Brother, you can fall in love. I am happy for you. I am really happy and happy. In fact, it doesn't matter if you are a man or a woman, as long as you like it. I am also curious. What kind of person can actually capture your heart."

He Jiqing looked at the text he sent and smiled.

"A brave man." He greeted An Nian.

The brave Lin Shu was left alone by the young counselor after the class meeting.This is her job, to lead their class from freshman to senior year, like a high school class teacher, to do their duty.Even for an unremarkable student like Lin Shu, she cared about her.

The counselor asked him: "Did you submit your resume to those publishing houses last time?"

Lin Shu said they voted.The counselor sighed: "Your mother called me."

Lin Shu was not surprised. When his mother Li Hua wanted to do something, she would always find ways to do it, especially when it came to him.At the beginning of the college entrance examination, if the teacher didn't feel sorry for him, he might have changed his choice according to his parents' wishes and stayed in Fujian.

"She said you were going home to take the civil service exam, and told me not to recommend jobs for you." The counselor said, "I don't think civil servants are suitable for you, and I also asked someone to check the position you applied for. It’s not just about outstanding performance.”

Lin Shu sighed, everyone knew the difficulty, but his parents didn't know, knowing that there are tigers in the mountains, they prefer to go to the mountains.If he didn't pass the exam, they would just say he didn't work hard enough.

"You should discuss it with your family members. Don't use up the time to fetch water from the bamboo basket, and miss the best time to find a job." The counselor advised him.

"It's useless." Lin Shu smiled bitterly: "They are more stubborn, mainly because they want me to go home instead of staying in other places."

"Then Fuzhou and Xiamen are not bad, and they are quite close to your home. The unit I gave you last time included Fuzhou. You can find someone in Xiamen, which may also be a good job." The counselor suggested seriously.

Lin Shu said, "I will try."

Finally, the counselor pulled him and said: "Maybe you think you are quite ordinary, but after four years of getting along, I think you should be better than you think. It's just you, your personality is too passive, and Very pessimistic. Sometimes, it might be better to take the initiative. Just like your work, you should talk to your parents and tell them your true thoughts. Adults are not as stubborn as you think."

After hearing this, Lin Shu was very shocked. What she said was right.He really appreciates the counselor and is willing to say these things to him.He sincerely thanked her.

The counselor patted him on the shoulder and encouraged him, "Come on."