duet

Pei Xun sat down at the dining table.He lowered his head, picked up a chopstick noodle, and tasted it.Zhou Nian was sitting next to him, her eyes followed his movements closely, appearing a little nervous.

The person being watched didn't feel the taste of showing up, but was amused by Zhou Nian's expression first.Before the man couldn't restrain himself from asking, Pei Xun laughed: "It's delicious."

Zhou Nian looked visibly relieved. "That's good," he said, subconsciously touching the pinnae of his ears, "I'm still wondering...is it too shabby."

Pei Xun's refrigerator was as empty as this house, with only a few cans of coffee and wine left, and almost no fresh ingredients.He walked around the supermarket wearing a mask, and was almost recognized by passers-by before he picked up enough materials, so he had to pay the bill and leave in a hurry.He had asked Song Yuzhen about Pei Xun's birthday before, and he had been waiting for this day to come, but he didn't expect that Pei Xun's performance was no different from the past, he seemed to not care about this day at all, and he didn't seem to have any plans to make other arrangements — like forgetting.

Does anyone really forget their birthday?In order to prepare for tonight, Zhou Nian even searched the Internet for news about his birthday.The year before last, when Pei Xun had just returned to China, it seemed that someone had held a rather grand birthday reception for him. Countless supermodels and actresses were invited.With his status, even if he doesn't care about it, others will come up to celebrate him.

However, according to his observations these days, Pei Xun doesn't seem to like socializing with others (in fact, he hasn't even gone out a few times); When looking for him, sometimes he will call Zhou Nian)... He intends to prepare a surprise for Pei Xun, so naturally it is not easy to ask him if he has any other activities.Judging by his indifferent appearance, it is assumed that he is gone.

When I rushed back home in the evening, I realized that Pei Xun had left the house at some time.His first reaction was that Pei Xun really had other arrangements, and it was impossible for his birthday to pass by so smoothly.But on the phone, he didn't say anything about it... Zhou Nian was so entangled in this, until he finally waited until Pei Xun came home and saw his dazed look, and then he was sure: this person really took his own I forgot my birthday.

"That's good." Pei Xun said with a smile.

He has always eaten less, and today he has no appetite. Before he went home, he was still thinking that he might not eat much tonight, and he might fail Zhou Nian's craftsmanship—but when he actually sat next to Zhou Nian and picked up the chopsticks, he was in a good mood. I have unintentionally relaxed a lot, and the sentence "delicious" just now is also sincere.

He never cared about the so-called "ostentation", and he didn't care whether it was lively or not.Sitting with people who are pleasing to the eye and eating a bowl of noodles quietly is good.

Zhou Nian didn't believe it, and frowned slightly.Mr. Pei's birthday is actually at his own home, eating a bowl of ordinary longevity noodles... It's surreal to think about it.

People like Pei Xun seem to have never felt anything similar to "dissatisfaction".Just like now, he feels wronged by Pei Xun, but Pei Xun is still smiling, with a soft expression on his face, as if he is happy from the bottom of his heart.

But Pei Xun was really happy from the bottom of his heart.Even, he hadn't been so completely relaxed for a long time.He caught a glimpse of Zhou Nian's embarrassed appearance, and felt that this person was really cute, so he couldn't help stretching out his hand to smooth the slight frown between his brows.

"Really?" Zhou Nian grabbed his hand.

"real."

Pei Xun said.He just let Zhou Nian hold hands like this, looking at the person in front of him as if he was finally relieved, then his brows relaxed, and his smile was soft and sweet.

Whether it is "soft" or "sweet", it seems that it is not suitable for young men in their twenties.But he was looking at the beauty under the lamp, and the beauty's smile was so beautiful that people just wanted to give him all the beautiful words.Pei Xun coughed lightly, and looked away like a cover-up: "I didn't expect you to be able to cook."

"Not really." Zhou Nian grabbed Pei Xun's left hand and folded it in the palm of his hand. "I used to live alone, and the living expenses were not enough, so I had to do it myself."

"When did this happen?"

"Teens."

Pei Xun raised his eyebrows and looked at him: "Aren't your parents by your side?"

"I was not sensible when I was young." Zhou Nian looked a little embarrassed.He lowered his eyes and lightly stroked the back of Pei Xun's hand: "At that time, I wanted to learn acting, but they...had never agreed. So I ran here alone, signed up by myself, and had interviews and so on. Only went home once - to finish my studies. I didn't have a good talk with them until I got the acceptance letter."

"Thinking about it now...it's still too reckless." He whispered.

"...Run away from home?" Pei Xun asked.

"That's it."

Pei Xun looked at him in disbelief for a moment.

It wasn't until now that he realized that even though he had known each other for a long time and had done the most intimate things, he still didn't know much about Zhou Nian's life. grown up.When I was young, I had the protection of my parents, and since then I have not encountered any invincible setbacks, so I can develop such a pure and precious mind.

And this person who always seems to be "good" on weekdays has also done such deviant things for his ideals.

He opened his eyes slightly, staring at the handsome and calm face of the person in front of him, it was hard to imagine what that indifferent Zhou Nian must have looked like back then.Zhou Nian blushed when he saw it, and he explained something as if to make amends: "Our family...is quite special. If it weren't for this, my father might never let me go as an actor."

"Then what does he want you to do?" Pei Xun asked.

"Same as him." Zhou Nian smiled, "From my great-grandfather to my grandfather and father, they are all scholars in the same university."

He mentioned his great-grandfather's name.Even though Pei Xun didn't know much about the academic world, he had heard of this well-known historian at the beginning of the last century.

"Then... After that, he agreed?" Pei Xun looked at him and asked.

"No." Zhou Nian shook his head, "He hasn't contacted me for the next four years."

——It wasn't until his first film was released before graduation that it was widely recognized by film critics that his father finally let go and agreed to meet him.The several films he shot successively after that were all high-quality works with good reputation. Based on this, he was finally able to return home after many years and spend the New Year with his parents.

Either because of the influence of family education, or because of nature, the father in his impression has always been unsmiling, serious and rigid, with almost no superfluous expressions on his face.Such a father, although it is difficult to understand the choice of the only child, still chooses to tolerate after the long cold war, and even started to work related to acting... Zhou Nian knew that he should learn to be content.

Pei Xun was silent.He leaned back in his chair and looked up at the small lamp above.At that moment, his expression was very complicated, as if he was touched, and he seemed to be salvaging something from the past.That must not be a good memory, stubbornness and remorse intertwined appeared in his eyes, and finally it was relieved.

And Zhou Nian has always been a good listener.He held Pei Xun's hand, quietly waiting for his words.

"Pei Hong," he said, and explained, "—my father. He never let me study art."

"When I was very young," Pei Xun said after thinking about it, "about eleven or twelve years old... At that time, my paintings were published for the first time in a magazine."

More than ten years later, he still clearly remembers the original scene.It seems that when you close your eyes, you can still see the little boy at that time holding a picture magazine, trotting all the way to Pei Hong, and eagerly flipping out the picture: "Dad!...Look, this is my... ..."

He was very happy and excited, and when he stood in front of Pei Hong, he remembered that he couldn't lose his composure in front of his father, and his voice gradually decreased.By the way, he still called Pei Hong "Father" at that time.

"I showed it to Pei Hong," he said, "and he said—'This is a good idea'."

"It's a good idea." Pei Hong said in his memory.Unlike his worst plan at the time, his father did not show any indifference or dismissiveness. Pei Hong glanced at his painting and raised his eyebrows, as if he was thinking about something.

He didn't know what it meant then.But then he found out.

"He found a few...how do you say, Gunner? They are adult art students who painted according to his requirements and published them in my name." Pei Xun seemed to be laughing, but he didn't seem to, "He gave A lot of money was invested in that publication, so the editor didn’t ask why my painting skills have improved so much all of a sudden... In the next issue, those other people’s paintings will be published in my name, and he will also start to publish Propaganda, saying I'm a genius or something."

For Pei Hong, "painting" is an elegant pastime for noble sons, a way to attract people's attention, and a bonus item in the social field, but it should never be a dream that his son should spend his whole life to fulfill.

"I'm very angry." Pei Xun said.

Of course the young boy at the time was very angry.But he had no way to obstruct it, nor did he dare to resist his father's authority. "So I changed my name, changed my mailing address, and submitted an article to another publication—it was also successfully published. But not long after, I was recognized by people and exposed Pei Hong's tricks."

"Pei Hong was also very angry." Pei Xun smiled, "After that, no matter how hard I try, no publication dares to use my paintings again."

When he was young, he finally realized something after being rejected many times. He didn't dare to question his father, so he had to ask Pei Hong's secretary at the time.Under his repeated questioning, the secretary finally admitted that it was indeed Pei Xun who gave some instructions or spent a lot of money to make those publications avoid him from now on.

That night, he stood in front of the secretary, trembling with anger.But what can he do?He was no longer allowed to paint.It wasn't until two years later that he went abroad to live at the behest of his new stepmother, without Pei Hong's constant monitoring, and finally picked up the brush.When it was time to finally choose a major, he entered the Academy of Fine Arts without telling Pei Hong—from then on, all the scars that had been hidden were revealed, and the public conflict between father and son began for nearly ten years.

I just... like to draw.

He didn't dare to say this to Pei Hong back then, and now he didn't say it to Zhou Nian in the end.It's too hypocritical.

"What happened next?" Zhou Nian asked him.

Pei Xun turned to look at him, and smiled slightly: "There is nothing later."

Then why did you still learn to paint?Is your father no longer in the way?How is your relationship now? ——Finally, Pei Xun finally mentioned his own affairs to him. Zhou Nian wanted to ask him countless questions, and he wanted to know everything about this person—but Pei Xun just laughed and didn't want to talk more.

He is not used to sharing such a private feeling with others, besides, this is not a good past, it will only increase the worry of the listener, and his mood will be spoiled by him.Hearing about Zhou Nian tonight brought back his similar memories, so he rarely said a few more words.These few words are already the limit of what he can express now.

The two stories are so similar, but the results are completely different.Pei Xun looked at Zhou Nian, as if he had never known him before.It was as if through him, I saw something that I once lacked but was extremely important.

It doesn't matter, Zhou Nian is also thinking, there will always be a chance for him to speak again in the future.

In front of Pei Xun, his thoughts have never been hidden.Pei Xun saw his thoughts and couldn't help laughing.He stood up, walked in front of Zhou Nian, and kissed him on the forehead.

"Ah." Zhou Nian was startled, then opened his eyes wide - Pei Xun pressed his shoulders, and just straddled him face to face.

Pei Xun put his arms around his neck, lowered his head and kissed his lips.The tip of his tongue licked Zhou Nian's lips, and then he slipped in skillfully.Zhou Nian was only stunned for a moment, then hugged his waist, stood up, turned around and pressed him against the wall.

The light fell on Pei Xun's eyes, which danced tremblingly.He raised his face to kiss Zhou Nian, and seemed to say something in a low voice during the gap between his lips parting.

Zhou Nian didn't hear clearly: "What?"

Pei Xun stopped repeating.He turned his face away, and his earlobes were rare red.It wasn't until many years later that Zhou Nian remembered this scene again, and Pei Xun couldn't escape as he pursued the answer, so he looked into his eyes and said it again - "Thank you".