under the filth

Tang Cen sometimes felt that his life was really in a trance. The first half year when he and Lu Sheng lived in the same apartment opposite each other was the same as the first half year when he first arrived at the University of Bath. Yes, but his consciousness is chaotic, and he can't even remember his own words and whereabouts.It wasn't until the end of that year, when the atmosphere of Christmas filled the school and the streets, that Tang Cen woke up like a dream.

He clearly remembered that he clearly remembered things that happened not long ago, but he always felt like a lifetime away. What happened last month seemed to have passed for many years, and some details and fragments were blurred.It was only when Tang Cen flipped through the chat history on his phone that he could barely recall some fragments.But in those six months, nothing major happened. Although they lived close together, Lu Sheng didn't do anything out of the ordinary.

The courses of the two people are not the same, and sometimes one person will stay alone in the dormitory.Lu Sheng was not in the apartment that day, so Tang Cen went back to his room directly after taking a shower.Water was still dripping from the ends of the freshly washed hair, Tang Cen didn't wipe it, and just put the towel in his hand over his head.

After Christmas is the week of final exams, and Tang Cen's desk is full of textbooks and review materials. "Buzzing—" The phone, which was submerged in books and papers, vibrated twice. Tang Cen took out the phone from the pile of books, and a message popped up on the screen: "How are you doing?"

Tang Cen took the phone to unlock the screen, and tapped the keyboard a few times. After editing the message, his finger paused on the send button before pressing it down: "Not too good, I can't remember things clearly."

Tang Cen was back there soon, but the water from his hair dripped onto the screen, and the water droplets blurred the words on the screen.Tang Cen saw the other party's message with a quick touch. The content of the message was also very simple, but it showed some concern: "Go and have a look, don't procrastinate."

"Go after the holiday." The water on Tang Cen's fingers was wiped everywhere with the action of pressing the keyboard, but he put the phone back on the table directly after he replied the message.

Tang Cen sat on the bed, lowered his head, pursed his lips, and wiped his hair silently. The water droplets dripping from the wet hair were thrown to the ground.

…………

In the coffee shop, Lily was sitting next to Andy holding a delicately patterned teacup, and Andy put his arm around her shoulders, and they both sighed at the same time: "The exam is finally over."

Sitting opposite them were Tang Cen and Lu Sheng. Lily's eyes scanned the two of them back and forth several times, and her pumpkin-colored nails tapped on the edge of the arc of the teacup: "How about going to the city for a stroll the day after tomorrow?" Sample?"

Compared with Andy's frowning expression, Lu Sheng seemed to have passed the exam fairly well, with a somewhat happy expression on his face.

Lu Sheng didn't immediately agree to Lily's invitation, but tapped his phone a few times before saying, "I don't have anything to do these days, it's fine. What about you?" While putting down the phone, Lu Sheng turned his head and asked casually. Tang Cen beside him said something, but Tang Cen didn't know what happened, so he didn't say a word.

Tang Cen had been holding the teacup from the moment he sat down, and did not participate in their conversation from the beginning to the end.And now he put the hand holding the teacup on his thigh, looked down at the steaming tea in the cup, and didn't know what he was thinking.

Tang Cen has been like this for a long time this semester. They were worried about whether it was because of the pressure of the exam, but with Tang Cen's ability, it shouldn't be like this.Later, it was Lu Sheng who mentioned Tang Cen's family vaguely, and they suddenly realized, and now it seems that this is probably the reason.

"Tang Cen?" Lu Sheng lowered his voice and called him, his brows furrowed unconsciously.

As if awakened suddenly, Tang Cen came back to his senses and stared blankly at the three people in front of him with his mouth open.

After a while, under their worried gaze, Tang Cen put the teacup on the small round table.He huddled on the soft chair, raised his hand to cover his eyes, and avoided their sight: "Sorry, I have something to do that day." There was a strong sense of fatigue in his voice.

In fact, Tang Cen and Lily hadn't been together like this for a long time. They were busy with various things this semester, and Tang Cen really didn't have much fun.Although Andy and Tang Cen had said a long time ago that they would go out together after the exam, Tang Cen had made an appointment for the day after tomorrow before Christmas, but he did not expect such a coincidence.

Tang Cen didn't know whether he should confront them, but the tedious and lengthy explanation made him feel even more anxious.

Through his fingers, Lu Sheng saw the expression on Tang Cen's face.He didn't know how to describe that expression, but it gave him an indescribable sense of oppression.

Tang Cen held on for a while, and even Andy, who was always nervous, could see something was wrong.Lu Sheng stretched out his hand and patted him on the back, comforting him: "What's wrong? Do you need help?"

"No!" Tang Cen raised his head abruptly, Lu Sheng was taken aback by him, and the hand that was patting his back just now stopped in the air.Lu Sheng's astonished expression also brought Tang Cen back to his senses, his face mixed with bewilderment and embarrassment: "...No need, I'm fine."

Lu Sheng was stunned for a few seconds before taking his hand back: "You don't look like you're okay." He had an intuition that it wasn't just what they had guessed before, it should be something that happened the day after tomorrow that made Tang Cen so uncomfortable, but he didn't know what it was. what kind of thing.Tang Cen didn't say anything, and he didn't have the position to care too much now.

"Did you not have a good rest during this period? Or is it sick?" Andy didn't notice Tang Cen's abnormality when he and Tang Cen were in class together. Now that he was free and relaxed, he thought about it carefully and found the problem.

Tang Cen waved his hands wearily, and didn't want to say more, so he just casually said a few words: "I probably didn't sleep well."

The three were still hesitating whether to continue asking, but a boy walking towards them interrupted their thoughts: "Tang! Are you convenient now?" The boy looked a little anxious, but he still politely talked to Lu Sheng and the others. Say hello.

Tang Cen recognized that this was a classmate in the same research group as himself, nodded to the three sitting people and stood up.Tang Cen looked around the coffee shop and felt that it was inconvenient to talk, so he pointed out the door with his finger. He walked outside and asked, "What's wrong?"

The boy followed him outside knowingly: "The last subject..."

As the two walked out, their voices became quieter. It was not until Tang Cen's back disappeared outside the door that Andy leaned over and whispered to Lu Sheng, "Tang has been a little strange lately."

Lu Sheng and Lily asked almost at the same time: "What's the matter?" The former was worried, while the latter was more curious.

Andy carefully recalled Tang Cen's situation during the final period of the semester, and poured out all he saw: "Recently, he feels that he has no energy, and he looks worse than when he spent all night in the library last year. Seriously, don’t eat much.”

"He didn't eat much?" Lu Sheng keenly grasped a key point.Sometimes the time of their classes doesn't match, and they can't stay together every day, so Lu Sheng doesn't know some things.

Andy nodded, and Lily also interjected: "Lu, although Tang kept saying he's fine, I'm still a little worried. Can you ask him when you go back?"

Lu Sheng pondered: "I'll try my best, you know his character." It's not that he didn't ask, it's just that Tang Cen seldom talks about himself, and he doesn't know that the people Tang Cen often contacts on his phone are other than his father. Who else is there.

Seeing Lu Sheng's appearance, Lily turned to mention another matter that gave Lu Sheng a headache.The girl asked curiously, "Are you guys dating?"

Their current relationship looks like it's dating, but it's not.But it was Tang Cen's attitude that made Lu Sheng want to let go several times, but in the end he was reluctant to let go.

"No." Lu Sheng suddenly felt a sudden pain in his temple.

Sure enough, the two Americans in front of them showed regretful expressions at the same time, and let out a disappointed "Oh".

As soon as the topic here ended, Tang Cen came back after talking with the team members.It was a bit cold outside, Tang Cen sat down and held the cup on the table in his hand, maybe because of the cold wind, he looked more refreshed: "What are you talking about?"

"A member of the team who will be working on a project with you next semester?" Lu Sheng didn't answer him, but turned the topic to other people.

Tang Cen didn't care either. Remembering that he hadn't mentioned it to Lu Sheng and the others before, he explained a few more words: "Well, I forgot to leave my email last time. There are some things that I haven't notified."

Andy let out a wail: "Oh my God! The subject!" He rolled his eyes exaggeratedly and collapsed on the soft chair. Lily was so teased by him that her hand holding the teacup trembled with laughter.

Lu Sheng saw that he hadn't been out for a long time, and the subject hadn't started yet, so it shouldn't be a big problem: "It's not a big problem, is it?"

Tang Cen took a sip of tea: "Yes."

Andy in front of him was still making weird expressions, and Lily was so teased that she couldn't close her mouth from ear to ear. At the end of the laugh, she had to pull Andy's face to force him to stop: "I can't do it hahaha! My stomach hurts from laughing." .”

Lu Sheng handed her a tissue, and Lily said "thank you" in a low voice before wiping away her tears.Inadvertently, she caught a glimpse of the wall clock on the wall, and suddenly remembered something that they hadn't discussed at the beginning: "Don, do you have any schedule other than the day after tomorrow?"

Tang Cen did not expect that he would return to this question in the end after a detour: "No."

"Then how about we go again in a day?" Lily held her face in her hands and looked at him expectantly.She had made her shopping list at Christmas and was just waiting to go on a shopping spree after exams week.

Andy, who lived with Lily, naturally knew the list she made. At this time, he followed his girlfriend's words and said, "Go, go."

"Take it as a refreshment just after the exam, why don't you go?" Lu Sheng, who seldom makes decisions about shopping, also opened his mouth.He looked at Tang Cen, the lights of the coffee shop fell on his eyes, reflecting bits and pieces of light.

Looking into Lu Sheng's eyes, Tang Cen remembered that the man in front of him was obviously pursuing him, but he rarely asked him out this year. This time might be the opportunity he had been waiting for for a long time.

"Hmm." Although they were not in the mood to go shopping, they invited them over and over again, and Tang Cen didn't push it any further, it was just to relax.