city ​​of angels

work, life, future, plan.

After Ah Chong was 23 years old, these words seemed to become insignificant to him.

It probably started when he was 22 years old.

According to the third sister, Ah Chong's biological parents were sentenced for drug trafficking. It seems that they have been sentenced for a long time. I don't know much about it, and I don't care.

Before brother Dao heard the news and was arrested, he gave most of his money to a brother named Yan Bing (Note 1), who was the one who brought Ah Chong to the third sister.

Although friendship is worthless in front of interests, it is probably the last bit of conscience that beats human nature, so Yanbing still finds Ah Chong.

When he came to Ah Chong, he brought a meeting gift and said he would give it to Ah Chong.The palm was spread out, and it was a transparent bag, which contained some white powder.

Yan Bing asked him, "Do you want to take over from your father?"

Ah Chong shook his head.

He was a little annoyed, and said you should go, the third sister will scold people when she comes back, so don't embarrass everyone.

Yan Bing smiled, and asked the people around him to bring two boxes, saying that the one on the left was for Third Sister, and counted her hard work raising Ah Chong all these years.The one on the right is given to Chong as the last sum of money left to him by his father.

The Rock Soldiers are gone.Ah Chong opened the box on the left, which was a box of gold bars.He suddenly remembered that there was a vague impression in his memory that the Dai people seemed to like gold very much.

In the box on the right is a box of RMB.Ah Chong had never seen so much money, and he hadn't used RMB for a long time. He thought to himself, what a strange money.

The third sister was busy going to drink with her that day, and she would come back very late.When Ah Chong was waiting for her to come back, he had been counting the money for a long time, until his thumb hurt, but he still couldn't finish.After finally counting the box of money, Ah Chong did the math, the money was enough to buy two luxury villas in Bangkok.

If a 22-year-old young man who has always been poor and wandering, suddenly has a lot of money that he can't imagine, what do you think he will do?

Ah Chong felt that his vague world view was probably established from that moment.

After all, money has power.

Money can buy the smile of the third sister, the chastity of the third sister, cigarettes, alcohol, drugs, happiness, and the family and companionship that he has missed in the past 22 years.

Even though he could do a lot of things with that money and live the good life that Third Sister and he had imagined in the past, but...he found that he seemed unable to do it.Some preferences are buried in his bones, but he still subconsciously likes to smoke ordinary cigarettes, likes freshness and turmoil, likes to listen to third sister swearing, likes snacks on the streets of Bangkok, and cheap milk tea.

A Chong was at a loss for a long time.

He was 22 years old at the time, the same age as Ning Yu whom he met for the first time. The 22-year-old Ning Yu still has a student-like face, and his words and deeds are frank and immature, while the 22-year-old Ah Chong has experienced so many unimaginable changes.

But so what?After all, he is only 22 years old.

He didn't move a penny of that money, thinking about it for a whole year.

One year later, on his 23rd birthday, Ah Chong made a decision: he left 33 RMB for his third sister, and then donated all the rest of the money to the family who stole fruit offerings and met his master. Buddhist temple.

The moment I handed over the money to Master...

At that moment, Ah Chong began to feel that life and destiny are so absurd and bizarre. One second he gets it, the next second he loses it. He is working hard for money, but in the end it is just a big dream.

Money can get lost, especially this kind of dirty money.Ah Chong felt that he needed to wake up.

It should have started from that moment, Ah Chong thought to himself.From that moment on, he has lived a life without tomorrow, he doesn't care about gains and losses, he only cares about whether this moment is fast or not.

He began to like exquisite and beautiful things, began to play with motorcycles and antique cars, and played with all interesting and untried things.He likes money, subconsciously.He is also willing to spend money, he buys expensive ones, okay, others don't think it is necessary to buy them.

He would buy a bouquet of roses, put all the money in his pocket into the flowers, and give it to the strange dancer squatting in the corner of the night scene to call home, and said to her: You are beautiful, don't cry.Then because I had no money to take a taxi, I could only walk home.

There is no reason, just thinking, like wanting to sleep with Ning Yu.

Ah Chong seems to care about many things, but feels that many things don't matter.

Like stepping on a cloud.

The body is floating, and the heart is also floating. When he floats across the sky, he sees all the gorgeous and beautiful things in this world. He has never been nostalgic for the scenery, so nothing can stop him.It's not that I haven't been tired. I thought about finding a place to rest and try the sense of down-to-earth reality.

But he is on the cloud.If you step on it, step on the air, fall, hurt, and hurt yourself, then why bother.

This attitude towards life relieved Chong from a lot of troubles.The older he gets, the less he thinks, the less he thinks, the less likely he is to trouble himself.

It's just that there are always some unpredictable troubles in life waiting for you, making people unavoidable.

For example, the one in front of him at the moment, Ning Yu who came to his door for the 18th time to deliver cakes.

Today is the 18th time.

Ning Yu sent a bunch of cakes one after another during this month.Among the 17 rejected cakes, the yogurt cake Ah Chong said was too sweet, the fruit cake he said had a rancid taste, the chocolate cake he said was too sour, and the cheese cake he said was too bitter. Enter the door of Ah Chong's house.

If you don't like it, then you can refuse it in another way.Ah Chong thinks he is quite gentle and doesn't like you, so I say sour for sweet, bitter for sour, just to tell you: stop here.

Probably wood is not eye-catching.Ning Yu seemed to be competing with him, instead of being discouraged by Ah Chong's weird comments, he gave it more vigorously, with a variety of tricks, not only the taste of the cake was upgraded, but also the quality of the presentation.Ah Chong watched the other party's cake getting better and better, and the alarm in his heart became louder and louder day by day.

Apart from the cake, several times when I came home drunk in the middle of the night, I saw this man standing at the door, standing as a stubborn and stubborn shadow, enveloping himself in it.He also said to himself: Have you been drinking?Are you uncomfortable?

Will ask if I want to buy you some hangover medicine.

Will keep asking, are you uncomfortable?

Where did this come from.The context that Ning Yu pulled him into was too soft and gentle, too much like a partner and husband and wife, Chong felt uncomfortable.

I can't even express what I feel in my heart, because it's very complicated.

However, it would be a lie to say that he was not touched.After all, Ning Yu is always very focused when looking at him, and his seriousness and determination are revealed little by little, turning into the light in his eyes.

No one can bear to be seen like this.

But Ah Chong felt, how could there be so much love for no reason in this world?Because of a face, a look, and a few pieces of cake, how short-sighted he is.

So Ah Chong would only tell Ning Yu calmly: You go home.

He was waiting for Ning Yu to be annoyed and disappointed, to slap the cake on his face, or to wait for the other party to cry, make trouble for no reason, and yell at him.

But Ning Yu didn't.He is different from others, he is quietly trying to impress himself with a little bit of sincerity.

He said: You have the right to reject me, and I also have the right to pursue you, so don't bother me.

Ah Chong doesn't like to say nothing, because he doesn't want to give people hope, and he doesn't want to disappoint others.He likes a gentle and soft environment, and a distance that allows both of them to retreat.But Ning Yu seems to have been forcing him to say nothing.

Let's talk about it.

Ah Chong took out his keys, glanced sideways at Ning Yu's shirt, and casually praised: "Nice? outfit."

Silly, it's so hot to wear a white shirt.

"I wore it on purpose." Ning Yu smiled gently, "Someone said I look good in a shirt before."

So wear to see you.

As Chong opened the door, he asked again, "Doesn't it feel hot?"

"I have." Ning Yu said something in Thai, "I feel a little bit when I see you."

They talk now, Chinese for a while, some English mixed in, and occasionally a few words of Thai, neither foreign nor native.

The Thai language from Ning Yu's mouth was soft, with a strange sense of gentleness.The most terrible thing is that what he just said is still using female language... (Note 2)

Ah Chong thought to himself, Ning Yu is really smart, he can learn Thai quickly, he can learn to make cakes quickly, and he can even learn to speak love words proficiently in a short time.But smart is smart, why must you like me.

The door lock at home is a bit old, and it takes some time to open the door every time. You need to press the handle to lift it up, and when you turn the key, press it firmly in.Ah Chong tried once, but couldn't open it.Twice, it won't open.He was a little annoyed, and he wanted to try it a third time when he pulled it out, and Ning Yu said at this time: "I'll try it?"

Ah Chong stared at him for a while before handing over the key.

When Ning Yu unlocked it, Ah Chong stared at the berry cake in his hand.The cake smells good, covered with sliced ​​blueberries and strawberries, surrounded by small biscuits, looks good and looks very appetizing.

Achong raised his eyes and asked him, "Have you found a part-time job yet?"

"Well, the English training institution I told you about last time, my IELTS score is not bad, and my spoken English is not bad, and they still want me to work full-time."

Ah Chong failed to open the door of his house twice. It was the first time for Ning Yu to try, and he successfully opened the door of his house once.

And it's the case of holding a cake with the other hand, with one hand.

After opening the door for Ah Chong, Ning Yu returned the key to Ah Chong. Seeing that the other party did not speak, he tentatively said: "...you can try it today to see if it tastes good. I made it yesterday and asked the neighbors to taste it for me. They It is said that the taste is good, it should not be too sweet, nor too sour. If it is not delicious, just throw it away, I will try to make cupcakes next time."

After he finished speaking, seeing that Ah Chong still ignored him, he said: "Then I won't bother you anymore, I just sent you some food, don't bother me. I'm going back, you go to bed early."

Ah Chong said, "Come in and sit down for a while, I'll make coffee for you."

After he finished speaking, he turned and entered the house, put his things on the table, and went to find coffee beans.

Ah Chong thought that Ning Yu would probably feel that his home was very unsightly, after all Ning Yu was a bit obsessive-compulsive and cleanliness.

Achong had discovered Ning Yu's fault a long time ago.Every time I go out to take a nap with him, when I check out and leave, Ning Yu must tidy up the whole hotel, and smooth out every fold of the bed sheet and quilt cover one by one.Anyway, it's just... an incomprehensible habit.

Ah Chong came back after finding Dou Zi, and saw Ning Yu holding a cake in both hands, standing there staring at him stupidly, looking a little embarrassed.

He thought it was funny, so he said, "You can sit wherever you want, just put your things down. I don't bring anyone home, I only live by myself, so it might be a bit messy, don't frown, just bear with it."

Oh, and take no one home.

"No, your place is pretty good, very clean." Ning Yu's words sounded against his will, he put down the cake, and asked hesitantly, "...just a little... messy, otherwise I'll help you... clean it up Down?"

"No need." Ah Chong began to grind the coffee beans, "Sit down for a while, you've been standing for a long time."

So Ning Yu began to look generously at Ah Chong's home.

It can be seen that the owner of the house is very good at living.The open shoe cabinet is full of expensive sneakers.He also had an old record player, a coffee maker that looked good, a wine cooler, and a large refrigerator.Looking around, although it is a bit messy, you will feel that the house as a whole is very Chong, casual and elegant.

"You are so rich." Ning Yu couldn't help sighing, pointing to a pair of shoes beside the sofa and said, "Your pair of shoes is someone else's monthly salary."

"Before I opened a refitting shop with my friends, it was considered a fixed income, and the profit was okay. I did other jobs because I couldn't do one thing all the time." A Chong said, "It's making money, isn't it just to use it? Yes. I don’t like saving money, people have to learn to enjoy it.”

"But don't be too unplanned." Ning Yu tried to refute, "My experience tells me that people still have to learn to plan themselves."

Ah Chong took out the filter paper, spread the ground coffee powder, and began to pour over.He moves skillfully, and the expression on the colander is very gentle, as if he is watching a flower bloom.

"Ning Yu." A Chong stared at the filter cup, carefully poured the powder away with the hand pouring pot, and suddenly asked, "Then what is your plan for your life?"

Ning Yu was a little puzzled and asked, "Be more specific?"

"It's... what you want." Ah Chong said, "Just curiosity. You are a person who has plans for yourself, unlike me. So I want to hear about your plans and the life you want."

"Me?" Ning Yu was stunned for a few seconds before slowly answering, "The life I want... This is the first time someone asked me this question."

"Don't you like planning, you should answer me without thinking."

"If it's at this stage." Ning Yu said, "I want an apartment of my own, a dog, and a..."

He hesitated for a moment before saying, "A person who can watch movies and have dinner together."

After Ning Yu finished speaking, Ah Chong finished the cup of hand pour.

He came over with a beautiful bone china cup, handed it to Ning Yu, and said, "I like cats better."

Ning Yu raised his head, and he bumped into Ah Chong's loose gaze.At that moment, he suddenly understood the purpose of Ah Chong for inviting him into his home.

"You can raise them all." Ning Yu lowered his head, "I raised cats when I was a child, and I know how to raise cats."

Ah Chong pointed to the cup and changed the subject: "Try it. This is Geisha, which is called Geisha in Chinese. Its green beans are blue-green, very beautiful, and it is also my favorite coffee."

Ning Yu took a sip, and the moment he drank it, he tried his best not to frown.

A Chong saw it.He smiled: "I know you only like to drink water and mild drinks, you must think it's not good."

Ning Yu: "It's actually okay."

"Fortunately, this word is quite boring."

Ah Chong sat across from Ning Yu, and suddenly spoke directly.

"Let's talk like friends. Ning Yu, do you think love can be strong?" Chong took a strawberry from the cake and ate it, "Love is a feeling in my eyes , I feel that this thing is the most unreliable, thick one second, weak the next second. You chase after what I don’t have, and I can’t give it to you.”

Ning Yu said: "From the perspective of my professional field, there is nothing that cannot be explained or solved. If you can't prove it, there are probably two reasons. One is that the ability is not enough, and the other is that the problem has no theoretical solution."

"For me, our problem is unsolvable, and I am not a problem."

"But in my opinion, this is a problem of my ability." Ning Yu said calmly, "Maybe I didn't do well enough, but there must be a solution."

A Chong seemed to sigh.

"Why are you so stubborn?" Ah Chong showed a puzzled expression, "Why do you want me to give you an answer, I don't even have an answer to myself."

"I can look for it with you."

"But I don't want to." Achong said with a slightly regretful tone, "I like you, but I don't like you that much, and it's not what you want. You will have a good life and better development, so why waste it with me time."

Ah Chong knew that it hurt people to say this sentence, anyway, Ning Yu's expression finally became a little ugly.

"Like me, but not..." Ning Yu repeated softly, "So like it?"

That is, I liked it a little bit.

"Yeah." Ah Chong said, "I think my position is very clear, it has always been, I like many people, but it seems that no one is special. I will not feel moved by you running over, I will only I think you are embarrassing me. You are really good, but I can't give you what you want. Don't let your life be separated because of impulse, you have more important things to do."

After speaking, he stood up and rubbed Ning Yu's hair.

Ning Yu felt that he should really be finished.He was obviously rejecting himself, but he was a little crazy when he heard it.

What he is thinking about now is, what kind of thing does he like me, and how can he get more.

Ah Chong touched his hair casually, as if he was petting a puppy.

Ning Yu thought, what should I say?I should say it's okay, I understand you, because I like you, I even like it when you reject me, because you are looking at me when you reject me, you are very gentle, and seem to be afraid that I will be sad.

But when he opened his mouth, what he said was: "I want to kiss you."

A Chong smiled.

That smile floated over, swung over, and slowly rained in Ning Yu's heart.He didn't quite understand the reason for the inexplicable shock in his heart, but at that moment Ning Yu realized that there are people in this world who will overwhelm you when they laugh.

They kept talking politely afterwards.Chong gave him some advice on living in Bangkok, telling him how to take a taxi, how to bargain, where to buy food, and where there are entertainment venues.

Ning Yu just stared into Ah Chong's eyes, didn't answer, and was in a daze, not knowing what he was thinking.Obviously this room is very quiet, but Ning Yu is thinking, this is really a flustered night.

Until the Geisha in the cup is completely cool, it is time for Ning Yu to leave.

Ah Chong said: "It's very late, go home quickly, and take care of yourself. I can eat cakes, and you don't have to wait for me every day in the future."

Ning Yu did not answer this sentence.

Ah Chong sent Ning Yu to the door.Ning Yu, who had been very silent afterwards, asked Ah Chong one last question before he closed the door:

"It's late now," Ning Yu said, "Why did you make coffee for me?"

They looked at each other, Ah Chong stood in the light, Ning Yu stood in the shadow.

"I guess you won't be able to sleep tonight." Ah Chong actually laughed, "So it's better to make you more awake."

Also because I know that as long as I serve it to you, you will definitely drink it.