pretend to be poor

The story of Tong Huai and Chen Wu was raging in the school, and it didn't stop for a week.

The poor students who had been ridiculed by Chen Wu's sarcasm filled their eyes with tears and elated. When they saw Tong Huai, they stood at attention and shouted brother, and the number of onlookers doubled.

Fortunately, Xue Ting left the next day and missed the peak period of being affected, otherwise Tong Huai Tuan might be stuffed into the table.

The seat next to him was vacated, and he no longer had to be shunted back to the street in Wangzhen District every night. Tong Huai felt relieved, slipped back to his serious home, and fell asleep in the dark with his beloved Stitch in his arms. , Woke up to the breakfast, dinner and supper carefully prepared by Aunt Chen.

After three days of heartless fun, Tong Huai lazily lay down on the table during recess on the fourth day, holding his mobile phone in his hand, and came across an interesting joke, then turned around cheerfully and called, "Look, Xue Ting... ..."

There are people coming and going in the classroom. This age is full of energy. The boys fight and fight after class, and the girls get together to talk for a while.

Very lively.

But there was nothing around him.

Tong Huai was stunned.

For no reason, he suddenly had a very familiar emotion in his heart - just like holding a parent meeting in elementary school, when waiting for Tong Jingyuan to come over, he obediently sat on his seat, watching the classmates in the class holding the hands of their parents Come in, or depressed or excited or anxious, the voice is noisy.

He was not interested because it had nothing to do with him.

Zhao Gou was there in front of the social media, and when he turned around, he saw Tong Huai staring at him, and raised his hand with a smile: "Hey, Brother Tong, what about looking at the stone at the same table? It's interesting that Lao Tian played a game thief, come and play together?"

"...No." Tong Huai came back to his senses, turned his phone around, lowered his eyes, and clicked on Xue Ting's WeChat.

Xue Ting was very busy in the training camp, so he could only spare some time in the evening, and he was slow to reply to messages.

The last chat between the two was recorded at 12:30 last night. Tong Huai was yawning, his mind was in chaos, his eyelids were so sleepy that he couldn't open his eyes, he squinted and typed a bunch of typos and random codes. Before Xue Ting returned, Lie on the bed and fell asleep.

- Not curly, very straight: I am normal, Chen Wu's attitude has changed, and I don't dare to look at me anymore

- not curly, very straight: what are you doing?

- not curly, very straight: sleepy, wan ah n

Xue Ting didn't reply the message until two o'clock.

-XT: hmm

-XT: brush questions

-XT: good night

Each was answered, as always, short and to the point.

Tong Huai watched this conversation several times, and suddenly wanted to talk to Xue Ting.

Say anything.

A lot of messy nonsense popped up in his mind in an instant, he clicked on the keyboard, and typed quickly with his slender fingers.

"I just saw a very funny joke" before sending it out, paused, and deleted each word, and replaced it with "What time did you go to bed when the news came back so late", I felt too boring talk.

He deleted, deleted, and deleted, and finally became impatient with himself.

The class bell rang, and Lu Shen walked in wearing a newly bought off-white long dress, with a cold and threatening glance that was as precise as radar.

Tong Huai clicked his tongue and threw the phone back into his schoolbag.

If you want to talk about Xue Ting, you don't think much about it.

It was the seat next to it that had been vacant for a year, and finally found a pleasing tablemate, but now it was vacant again, and no one took him home after evening self-study.

Just not used to it.

Holding this strange mentality, Tong Huai dawdled for two days before running back to the old house.

Just in this way, there is no need to ask the driver to go to that alley to feed the cat every night. Xue Ting will not come back until next Friday, and he can still accompany Mr. Xue on weekends.

The temperature is gradually dropping, and the air conditioner in the classroom has been adjusted from more than ten degrees to twenty degrees.

Tong Huai quietly counted on his fingers until the day Xue Ting came back, ready to go to his house for dinner.

Unexpectedly, before Xue Ting arrived on Friday, Tong Jingyuan was expected first.

When Tong Huai received a call after class, his eyes lit up. He put aside the matter of going to Xue Ting's house for lunch, and rushed to the school gate. When he saw a familiar car, he rushed in excitedly: "Daddy!"

Tong Jingyuan was wearing a suit and tie, turned on the reading light in the car, and was reading documents with a pair of glasses.

Seeing Tong Huai coming, he took off his glasses, hugged his son, observed it carefully, and said with a smile, "Yo, Zai Zai has grown taller."

During the summer vacation, Tong Jingyuan only found time to come back two or three times. The two hadn't seen each other for a long time. Tong Huai was very happy, and even happier when he heard this sentence.

It's better to be close to your father, and not to join forces with Xue Ting's vicious people who try to lower his height.

Tong Jingyuan: "It looks 1.7 meters six, right?"

Tong Huai: "..."

Tong Huai squeezed out a sentence between his teeth: "You should go back."

The driver happily listened to the father and son in the back seat quarreling, turned around and went to the private restaurant where the father and son used to go.

Tong Huai's excitement passed, and he leaned on the back of the chair and looked at Tong Jingyuan, watching him order a table full of his favorite food, and figured out some other flavors.But he didn't say a word, and he estimated that he was sixty percent full.

Sure enough, after dinner, the chef served another delicate cake with candles representing Seventeen on it.

Tong Huai raised his eyes.

"Zai Zai, happy birthday." Tong Jingyuan hid the tiredness in his eyes well, and he always smiled in front of Tong Huai, "Sorry, Dad just came back today."

The little complaint in Tong Huai's heart disappeared long ago, and he waved his hand generously: "Forget it, you didn't mean it."

The father and son shared the small cake, and it was barely a birthday for Tong Huai.

The setting sun melts gold, the twilight rubs lightly, and the noise of the city overflows with dazzling neon lights.Tong Jingyuan learned from Aunt Chen that Tong Huai had been at the old house recently, and sent him there with the driver.

Usually it is meal time, and every household near the old house smells of fireworks and the smell of rice.

When the car stopped downstairs, Tong Jingyuan looked at the old windows on the second floor in silence for a while, with nostalgia and sadness in his eyes.That old house had a special meaning to him and Tong Huai, and he didn't ask Tong Huai why he wanted to live here, for fear of hurting the child's heart.

Tong Jingyuan put his arms around his son's still thin shoulders, and walked over there: "This place is small, so it's not easy to put things. Gifts and bicycles are at home over there, remember to get them."

Tong Huai didn't move.

The sky was dim, and the street lights hadn't been turned on yet. Tong Jingyuan couldn't see his expression clearly for a while: "Just get here, don't you want to catch a plane, go quickly."

Tong Jingyuan paused.

Tong Huai raised his eyes and pouted his lips, seeming impatient and disgusted: "How many times did you secretly look at your watch along the way, thinking I didn't notice? Look at the bloodshot eyes in your eyes, how long have you not slept? Go to the airport Take some eye drops on the way, take a nap after getting on the plane, don’t squeeze yourself so hard, aren’t you a bourgeois who squeezes people..."

Tong Jingyuan stared blankly at his youngest son as the child muttered and muttered, and it wasn't until Tong Huai stopped nagging that he suddenly woke up.

His Huai cub is no longer as small as it was when he was a child, and needs to be watched and carefully guarded all the time.

He has grown up, with one hand in his pocket, his school uniform is wide open, tall, thin and clean, he is a good age when he walks across the corridors in school calling for friends, and can make little girls blush just by whistling .

As a father, he should be involved in every step of Tong Huai's growth.

But he was obviously incompetent, and he missed a lot without knowing it.

Tong Jingyuan's throat was astringent, and he took a light breath: "Zai Zai, yes..."

"Okay, okay, I've said it many times since I was a child, and I'm tired of hearing it, just be nice to yourself." Tong Huai raised his face, his light brown pupils were like pieces of amber, clear and bright, "Go quickly Let's give out bigger red envelopes for Chinese New Year this year."

Tong Jingyuan was silent for a while, then sighed insignificantly.

It is clear that it is always Tong Huai who is willful and awkward, but it is his father who is constantly tolerated.

It's really too late to catch the plane, so I can't say anything, and I have said countless times what I can say.

Tong Jingyuan rubbed his son's curly hair, said yes and yes in a gentle voice, and finally hugged him before returning to the car.

Tong Huai stood under the streetlight where Xue Ting often waited for him, watched the car disappear at the end of the street, and slowly went upstairs with his schoolbag on his shoulders.

He took a shower and slumped on the sofa. He was actually not very happy. He didn't want to do anything and didn't bother to turn on the light. He just closed his eyes and fell asleep in the twilight that gradually swallowed up the light.

The room was immersed in silent darkness, with only the slight sound of breathing.

Until the phone rang suddenly.

Tong Huai was startled and woke up from his sleep. He didn't know how long he had slept. He scratched his hair in a daze, and picked up the phone from the ground to have a look.

The caller is Xue Ting.

By the way, Xue Ting is back today!

The little sentimentality disappeared in an instant, and a smile appeared on his lips, and he picked up the phone: "Tingting! You're back!"

"..." Xue Ting's voice in the microphone was unusually indifferent, "Work hard on your next monthly exam."

Tong Huai called out sincerely: "Brother Ting."

Xue Ting sneered lightly, his voice was pleasant, and even his sneer was like a small hook, making Tong Huai's ears itchy.

He changed his posture uncomfortably, and immediately heard Xue Ting ask: "Where are you?"

"Ah?" Tong Huai was at a loss, "I'm at home."

"...I'm downstairs at your house."

Tong Huai said "ah" in a daze, looked at the dimly lit window, jumped up, didn't have time to change clothes, and hurried downstairs in the short sleeves that he put on casually after taking a shower.

Xue Ting waited under the street lamp.

He was facing Tong Huai sideways, half of his face was sunk in darkness, the boundary between light and dark was blurred, his eyebrows were high and his eyes were deep, his expression was light, and his whole body exuded an aura of alienation and indifference, repelling people thousands of miles away.

It was only a few steps away, but Tong Huai's forehead was sweating a little, and he ran down in one breath. Seeing Xue Ting like that, he didn't dare to approach him.

At eleven o'clock in the evening, the neighborhood here is already very quiet.

Tong Huai's footsteps were particularly obvious.

Xue Ting looked sideways, and the moment his gaze was fixed on Tong Huai, the aura of alienation and indifference that enveloped his whole body dissipated.

Xue Ting is the familiar Xue Ting again.

Tong Huai approached immediately.

Xue Ting casually reached out and rubbed his hair: "Let's go, feed the cat."

Tong Huai hummed to keep up, the chatter box opened without a key, and poured out many unclear words on WeChat, his eyebrows beaming and his speech fast.

Xue Ting pushed the bicycle without interrupting him, occasionally responding calmly with "um".

"By the way, when I passed by last night, Xiaohua wasn't there," Tong Huai wondered, "It's not always there, where else would it go?"

Xue Ting also couldn't make up his mind, and pondered for a while: "Maybe he went to inspect the territory."

When they reached the narrow alley, the two walked in one after the other.

The alley has two high walls, blocking the skylight, and because it is too deep, the street lights cannot penetrate in, and it is empty.

Not to mention the night, walking alone in this kind of alley during the day, it is inevitable to think of some gods and ghosts.

Although Tong Huai was not afraid of the dark anymore, he was still a little timid. Every night when he came to feed the cat, he played the Great Compassion Mantra on a loop, and ran away after feeding the cat.

One day when he was leaving, he turned around inadvertently, and found that Xiao Hua was actually following behind. Seeing him looking over, he turned around and left, his back was ruthless.

In the next few days, when he left, he would secretly look back.

The gaudy three-colored cat walked lightly, looked around vigilantly, and followed behind him.

I don't know whether to send him away, or see that he is cowardly, and escort him on this journey.

After discovering this, Tong Huai felt that Xiaohua's character was simply Xue Tingbenting.

When he arrived at the place, Tong Huai turned on the light of his mobile phone, took the cat food and put it down.

The three kittens got out as usual, but instead of eating cat food, they meowed and circled Tong Huai and Xue Ting non-stop.

Tong Huai looked in the trash can: "Xiaohua isn't there tonight?"

Xue Ting frowned. He didn't know what to think of. He left suddenly, turned on the phone light, squatted down and looked around carefully. After a while, he stopped 20 meters away and stared at the corner: "Come and see."

"what happened?"

Tong Huai ran over and squatted down.

Xue Ting's palm was facing upwards, holding a bunch of soft cat fur.

The color is very familiar.

Because the location was too narrow and the surroundings were pitch-black, Tong Huai didn't dare to stay in such a place for too long, so he didn't notice it last night.

The two looked at each other, and Tong Huai also frowned: "Did you get caught by those brats again?"

Xue Ting shook his head: "Not sure."

The three kittens followed with their heads poking around, meowing around the tuft of fur, as if they were confirming something.

The night wind that came through the hall was as cold as water, and Tong Huai shivered slightly.

These kittens also meowed against him last night, but he didn't care.

Maybe it was a call for help.

A wave of self-blame welled up in his heart, he frowned and wanted to say something, his body suddenly felt warm.

A warm coat was used as a hood to block the night wind and dispel the coolness.

Xue Ting took off his coat and only wore a T-shirt. He picked up the three cats one by one, hugged them into his arms, and didn't look at Tong Huai: "Don't think too much, it may not be an accident. It's too late today, and the security around here is not good , I'll look for it tomorrow, you go back first."

Tong Huai hesitated for a moment: "These three little ones..."

"Just in case, I took them home."

"Isn't grandpa allergic to cat hair?"

Xue Ting always does things properly: "Temporarily keep them in an empty room, and I will take care of them."

Tong Huai hesitated for a while, but he was still very self-aware and didn't force himself into the job.

He can hardly take care of himself, let alone three weak kittens.

Back at the entrance of the alley, Tong Huai looked at Xue Ting, and reached out to pick up the cat: "Let me hug you, you ride a bicycle."

Xue Ting glanced at him, thought for a while, and put the three cats into his arms.These cats are very good, lying in Tong Huai's arms, neither struggling nor barking.

It took about [-] minutes from here to Xue Ting's house. Tong Huai held the cat in his arms, thinking about where Xiao Hua would go all the way.

When they arrived at the familiar small courtyard, Xue Ting took the cat over and held Tong Huai down: "Wait for me here."

Tong Huai didn't intend to go back, but waited obediently outside.

After 3 minutes, Xue Ting came out again and got on the bike again: "Come up, I'll take you home."

"Oh."

Tong Huai was very familiar with the back seat of Xue Ting's bicycle, so he wrapped up his coat and sat on it to continue thinking.

No more nagging.

Xue Ting is not used to it.

When I got back downstairs to Tong Huai's house, it was past twelve o'clock. Tong Huai got off his bicycle and was about to take off his coat and return it back.

"You wear it." Xue Ting didn't want it.

For a moment, Tong Huai felt a little hesitation in his heart.

The night wind was very cold, covered by his warm coat, it was spacious and warm, just like the rainy days when he was a child, Tong Jingyuan rarely came to pick him up, and put his clothes on him, which could block all the wind and cold.

He has a little reluctance.

But Tong Huai finally took off his coat, tiptoed, and put it back on Xue Ting's shoulders: "My house is only a few steps away, thank you Brother Xue."

Xue Ting's eyes stayed on his face for a moment, and he hummed lightly, his expression remained the same.

Tong Huai felt that he didn't seem very happy.

He was confused, and adhering to the principle of speaking straight, he cleared his throat: "Brother Xue, I don't know if it's my illusion, you don't seem to be very..."

Xue Tingniao ignored him, put on his coat and pedaled his bicycle.

went straight away.

Tong Huai: "..."

dry.