gray manor

RL's safehouse always looks desolate and bare, as if furnishing was never part of their budget.

Siren found a relatively better condition based on his memory, but this room is still full of living traces left by various residents. The pea-green wallpaper is yellow and mottled due to lack of timely maintenance. If you look carefully, there are mildew spots .

Fortunately, the bathroom and bedroom are still clean. Zhao Xi turned the cabinet upside down and found a small bottle of alcohol. She helped Xin Xi take off her gloves. The rash on her left wrist had been cracked due to external force, and the blood in the capillaries Can't wait to get stained on the fabric, unevenly distributed one by one, occasionally scratching the dermis, it looks like it is about to fester and sore.

Siren took off his suit jacket, ripped off his bow tie, undid the tightly buttoned collar and rolled up his cuffs to his elbows, finally heaving a sigh of relief.He took out the cash from the secret compartment, and was about to go out to buy some allergy medicine and daily necessities, and told them not to open the door casually.Because it is a safe house that I entered privately, I don't know what kind of people it will attract.

The light in the living room was a bit dim, Zhao Xi was afraid of wound infection, so she squinted her eyes and carefully disinfected Xin Xi.The pain caused when the alcohol touched her skin obviously did not arouse her excessive reaction, but Zhao Xi who applied the alcohol shrank back and forth, extremely nervous.

"Zhao Zhao, I'm not in pain, take it easy." Xin Xi finally said his first words after leaving the exhibition.

Zhaoxi didn't reply, but still focused on applying alcohol, occasionally blowing gently on those small wounds.The coolness brought by the evaporation of alcohol drove away the pain, Xin Xi looked down at his friend who was more worried than her, and the bitterness in his heart finally broke out.

She bit her lip, tears rolled down, her body couldn't stop sobbing, but she still restrained herself from crying.She never said it hurts, but someone would feel pain for her without her saying it, which makes people's nose sore and eyes hot.

It's always hard to make someone complain who has adapted well to the worst circumstances, because what she's been exposed to affects her judgment of difficulties and makes her extraordinarily strong.Xin Xi always looks at life optimistically, and lives casually and freely. She can make friends all over the world.This kind of love that has nothing to do with romance completely enveloped her, and she couldn't help but want to be a delicate girl.

Mascara and eyeliner were mixed with tears and scratched across the skin, and the beautiful makeup was destroyed in an instant.Xin Xi's aggrieved face was crumpled into a ball, and his expression looked pitiful and funny.If the siren is here, she must be buried as a little female ghost.

"It's too ugly for us Xiao Tiantian to cry." Zhaoxi finally finished the work in hand, she put down the cotton ball, and when she looked up, she saw the expression of someone dropping Jindoudou regardless of her image, she couldn't laugh or cry.

In fact, it's not ugly. Xin Xi's eyes are also charming when they are slightly red. Although the black mascara brushed by the two tear stains on her cheeks is very eye-catching, her eyes are full of aura, which is definitely a gift comparable to diamonds. .

Zhaoxi changed hands and took out two tissues to gently wipe her tears. Xin Xi looked really wronged when she cried, but Zhaoxi didn't want her to cry because of any grievance, so she decided to change the topic to divert her attention.

"Do you know what it means to be friends?"

Zhaoxi's persuasive tone resembled that of a moral education teacher, Xin Xi shook his head and waited for her to continue.

"Everyone is an isolated island from birth. We build bridges with other isolated islands through various reasons to communicate. Some of these bridges are wooden bridges that cannot withstand the wind and rain, and some are crumbling suspension bridges themselves. Only a very small number of bridges will be slowly strengthened through continuous communication and interaction, and finally become a "bridge of friendship". Our whole life is constantly walking on these bridges of unknown safety, from temptation to familiarity, from Holding on to the handrails and crossing the bridge with trepidation, even if you walk blindly with your eyes closed, you can’t make mistakes. We have to go through the process of falling from the bridge countless times, and this is very energy-consuming. So some islands choose to increase revenue and reduce expenditure, and begin to reduce Communication with the outside world, no longer building new bridges. Because she is satisfied only by concentrating on maintaining the existing bridges, she will regard protecting this bridge as an important task in her life. She has seen the opposite connection After seeing the colorful flowers on the island, I hope that the island will always look like spring."

Zhao Xi paused and continued, "You are the spring I chose." So I am very satisfied.

I don't know if Xin Xi, who was so busy crying, understood, her big eyes were filled with tears, although her vision was blurred, she still leaned her head on Zhao Xi's shoulder intuitively.Zhaozhao's shoulders are thin and thin, but they seem to be full of strength at this moment, because she shoulders the only bright spring in her dull life.

After a few days of busy work, Xin Xi was overly tired, and after crying like venting, she fell asleep peacefully.Zhao Xi placed her on the only mattress in the bedroom, and gently closed the door ajar so that she could know her status at any time.She was sitting on the ground, barefoot casually after taking off her high heels.She leaned her back loosely against the wall, her shoulder blades rubbing against the wallpaper in an unavoidable, uncomfortable way.

The sirens have been gone for a long time, until the dim overhead light in the living room attracted moths and became more flickering, the sensor lights in the corridor went on and off seventeen times, and 32 people passed by, so long that the whole city seemed to fall into sleep and only Zhaoxi was confused to resist sleepiness, and counting the passing crowd at night only increased her worry.

When he came back, he was full of dust, muttering that he didn't expect it to rain. Zhaoxi was drowsy at first, but when he saw the door was opened, he woke up immediately.She got up quickly but tripped over the hem of her skirt, and couldn't stop leaning forward precariously.The siren reacted extremely quickly, and appeared in front of her eyes almost in the blink of an eye. The dusty smell of rain and the faint smell of cologne on his body mixed together and rushed into her nostrils for no reason. .

Zhao Xi was flustered and embarrassed, her whole face fell into the man's chest.Siren Xu held her waist, stabilized her, and hung a fleeting smile on the beautiful face that no one saw.

"Sorry." Zhaoxi blinked her eyes twice quickly, she was fully awake, she immediately pushed herself away from someone's body, brushed off the messy hair on her forehead, and apologized for her recklessness.

The Siren didn't say anything, but looked at her silk skirt full of dust and wrinkles with a little pity, and regretted: "This skirt is useless." Then he took out the plain short-sleeved and sportswear from the paper bag. The trousers said to her: "Go take a shower and change this, it's more comfortable."

Zhaoxi nodded, took the clothes and another bag of daily chemicals and walked into the bathroom.

After watching Zhaoxi enter the bathroom, Siren took out the allergy plaster from the bag and pushed open the bedroom door. The room was pitch black, only the faint street lamp mixed with the silvery white moonlight shone in through the window and turned on. An empty corner of a room.Xin Xi was drowsy and felt a cool ointment running on the back of her hand. She opened her eyes sleepily, and found that Siren was sitting on the ground in the dark and applying the ointment to her.

"Why don't you turn on the light?" Xin Xi lay on his side without moving, and asked in a daze.

Siren kept moving his hands, and said flatly: "I have good night vision."

"That's right, I forgot. Your eyes can see better than a lion at night." A certain person lay like a salted fish, only his mouth was muttering.

"Does it still hurt?"

"what?"

The Siren gently pressed the worn wound on her left wrist.

"It doesn't hurt." Xin Xi said with a light smile, "What is this, don't underestimate me."

"No one dares to underestimate you. Who dares to underestimate someone who can climb out of an avalanche."

"Hey, that's not right! I overcame all odds and carried you out together!" A certain Xianyu said proudly and shook his feet slightly.

Recalling that encounter, the Siren laughed and said, "You're so stupid."

"Who are you talking about?!"

"Speaking of you. You didn't run if you were told to run, but you just wanted to pull me. As a result, I lay in bed with frostbite for half a month."

"Hmph, I can't be called stupid, I'm obviously just doing what's right, and I'm very responsible, okay?" Xin Xi frowned, dissatisfied.

Siren no longer entangled with her about this, carefully applied the ointment to the last fingertip, and his task was over.Just about to let go, Xianyu Xin suddenly said with great interest: "Siren! Siren! Look at me!"

The fingers covered with ointment followed the body forward and met the Siren's retracted hand, and she said: "I am building a bridge of communication with you! Beep-beep-beep-request for a call-request call--"

"You're obviously cosplaying "ET"." It's too blind for an old meme half a century ago, like a finger.

Siren rolled her eyes, but let her childishly point her fingers.

"Hmph, you're so boring, you don't even have any extra imagination." Xin Xi retracted his fingers as he spoke, turned over and lay flat on the mattress, intending to finish building the bridge of communication.

The Siren was dumbfounded by her sudden temper, and said helplessly: "Then tell me, where did you get the inspiration?"

As if she was waiting for the siren to ask her, Xin Xi regained her interest and said with a playful smile, "It's Zhao Zhao! She said that everyone is an island, and communicating with others is like building bridges between islands." ...If the friendship between the two small islands is deep and the exchanges are close, then their bridge will be equally stable and safe. I just want to try with you to build a bridge, the kind that can walk with your eyes closed."

The siren thought for a while, and put his fingers on it, carefully imitating the voice of the current interference, and said: "Zi-Zi-please pass. The bridge is beginning to be built, and the type of creation-alloy corridor bridge."

"What hahahahahaha, why is it an alloy corridor bridge! It's ugly!"

"The material is hard, and it is sealed on all sides, so as not to let you crash and fall down every day without thinking."

"Okay. Then I reluctantly accept it." Although Xin Xi verbally disliked the Siren's aesthetics, he still smiled from ear to ear because of his pragmatic reasons.

The alloy covered bridge is being built between the islands named "Xinxi" and "Siren". They agreed that no matter what wind and rain can destroy this bridge of friendship, which is indescribable in shape but very thoughtful in its original design.

Xin Xi couldn't take a bath by herself because of the ointment on her hands, so she could only ask Zhao Xi to continue to take care of her like a child.Siren put several packs of instant noodles in the kitchen to cook. While waiting for the noodles to soften, there was the sound of a lock sliding at the door.He became vigilant, took a small knife and hid it behind his back, and quietly walked towards the door.

Generally speaking, there will be no gun battles in RL's safe houses. These safe houses are more like a resettlement house that provides temporary accommodation than the refuges for special types of work such as special agents or police.But the habits formed by Siren from his youth are difficult to change, and he is usually hostile to the unknown.

Holding a knife in his hand, his breathing was steady, without any nervousness.He had hands that were perfect for holding a gun, never sweating or shaking, which was another gift from God.

The Siren was on the left side of the doorknob, calmly waiting for the door to be opened, holding his breath and concentrating on it, just to accurately deliver a fatal blow to the possible danger.

The handle was turned, and the door was easily pushed open. The siren stared at the outsider sharply, but found that the face on the opposite side was very familiar - it was Jonathan.

"What are you doing...how is it you?" The Siren immediately relaxed and rolled his eyes by the way.

"I still want to ask you," Jonathan walked in, retracted the gun without a trace, and said after looking around, "This safe house has been occupied by people without application. Let me take a look at the situation. Tell me, is this what happened?"

He ignored the knife in Siren's hand, pointed at Zhaoxi's dark green skirt that had been replaced and thrown on the sofa, with an inquiring expression of "what are you doing in the safe house, kid?"

"Put away your dirty thoughts," the siren rolled her eyes again, and continued, "Xin and I have no place to live, and came in when we had nowhere to go. That dress is her good friend's dirty clothes after taking a shower."

Jonathan, who has always been upright, raised his eyebrows and said, "No place to live? Aren't you living well in Gray Manor? What's the matter, this is a fallout?"

The Siren didn't answer his words, and said impatiently: "I don't want to go back for now, there are things that haven't been resolved."

Jonathan's eyes widened when he heard what he said. Before he could speak, the siren continued to add in a tacit understanding.Rather than a supplement, it was more like a threat. The knife in his hand hadn't been put down yet, and he was playing with it between his knuckles.

"Tsk, it has nothing to do with you, and it has nothing to do with RL. Let me say it first, you, Red Light Operator, have nothing to do with this matter."

After he said this, he finally remembered that the noodles were still cooking in the pot, and hurried to turn off the fire. The noodles had been cooked until they lost the curl and elasticity they should have, and it seemed that they would break if they were pinched.

At this time, Zhaoxi also helped Xin Xi take a bath, and steam spit out from the bathroom, Xin Xi changed into a slightly loose cotton T-shirt, her red and swollen hands were wrapped in plastic bags and stood upright in front of her.Her brown hair was wet behind her back, and her big almond eyes seemed to have been washed by clear water, revealing an obedient and innocent look. She looked like a deer that had just been fished out of the water and was defenseless against the world.

"Siren—I'm hungry—" Xin Xi let Zhaoxi take off the plastic bag she had put on to avoid getting wet, and since she felt refreshed after taking a hot bath, she yelled with her eyes half-closed, carelessly .

With their backs to the door, neither of them noticed Jonathan's presence, even though he was right in the middle of the living room.

"Cough cough."

"?" Xin Xi turned his head, seeing Jonathan's wooden face, he was so frightened that he cursed secretly, and said in surprise, "Why are you here?!"

"You used this safe house without applying, and you still come to ask me why I'm here?" Jonathan asked back.

"..." When Xin Xi met him, she would lose the ability to speak forcefully. She knew she was wrong, so she just shut up and didn't speak.

Jonathan, who had just been scolded by Zhaoxi yesterday, looked over Xin Xi's head and Zhaoxi rolled his eyes expressionlessly in his heart. This scene is really embarrassing.

Why would someone be able to make the atmosphere so embarrassing just by appearing! ?Why!

As the middleman, the siren was not surprised, as if he didn't feel the discomfort in the stagnant air at the scene.He put the noodles that were too soft and rotten on the coffee table, and seeing Xin Xi and Zhao Xi standing still at the door of the bathroom, he urged, "Why are you standing there, come and eat noodles, aren't you hungry?"

"Oh."

Xin Xi walked around Jonathan on purpose, his snake-like evasive appearance was inexplicably humorous, especially like a child who was separated by trivial matters, deliberately ignoring his playmates with his temper.

The siren scooped noodles into their bowls with the pot, and the three of them sat around the small coffee table, with the hot steam on their heads, looking extraordinarily warm.

Jonathan knew Siren Man Da Man Suan. This year is No.15. At that time, this beautiful boy was not widely called by the code name "Siren". He was still Kevin Geller, or Bian Xing Meng, a very tempered An Asian-American boy who doesn't answer anyone.

Sirens were always approached because of their outstanding looks when they were teenagers. The suitors were regardless of gender or even skin color. The only thing they had in common was the fanaticism and obsession on their faces.Of course, just like every coin has two sides, there are also many people who dislike him or feel jealous.

Campus bullying is definitely a thorn in Siren's heart that is hard to pull out in his middle school career.

The upright Jonathan first really met Sirens in junior high, when he was being thrown into the trash by a group of hormonally overwhelmed seniors.Joe was the first to pull him out of the mess and smelly, and he was also the one who watched him grow from a weak but tough weed to a strong and tall tree.

Jonathan used to be his best friend, and maybe the relationship is not too bad now, but since the siren awakened and gained great power, he never understood him again.

For example, this instant noodle looks terrible. Siren could barely take care of himself before, let alone worry about other people's hunger.

Thinking about it, Joe couldn't help sighing, alas, people are really incomprehensible creatures.

"You can go back when you've seen enough, anyway, this is the situation now." Siren said to Jonathan without raising his head.

The dim light was disturbing, Jonathan said: "Clean up after eating and follow me, you two together."

Xin Xi stopped chewing the noodles, turned around and silently looked at Jonathan, who had always been at odds with her, and blinked her big eyes in disbelief, as if to say: If I didn't get it wrong, Jonathan must have gone to hell!

Jonathan understood her eyes, and said helplessly: "Okay, maybe you can understand that I also have my own selfishness. I can't leave here my colleague who is about to reinstate but still has nothing at night. Besides, One of the functions of Red Light is to be a solid backing for members of your other departments. Although you are not under my jurisdiction, this is my responsibility. I have to take you away both publically and privately."

After speaking, the siren met his eyes, as if he had forgotten the cruel words he told him to ignore just now, and acquiesced in his high-sounding responsibility and selfishness.

"Then...then you come to eat too?" After hearing his pale explanation, the witty Xin Xi carefully moved a seat to the side, as if trying to please him.

The upright Jonathan waved his hand to express his refusal.How can I eat the things made by Sirens?He didn't want to persecute his taste buds.

The three of them who were extremely hungry were not picky eaters, and ate the whole pot of instant noodles happily.Jonathan sat on the sofa and watched them clean up the mess. Xin Xi ran behind the siren with his paws up, talking non-stop but not working, looking very idle.

"There, there, you didn't clean the handle of the pot!"

"Hey, wipe the bottom of the pot too, don't be so lazy."

"Where did you put my ointment? Why can't I find it?"

……

The siren was stared at and tidied up impatiently by her, and wanted to interrupt several times, but when she saw the scratches on her hand, she forcibly held back the desire to complain.

He doesn't care about her for now.

After repacking the daily necessities they had just bought outside, the three of them followed Jonathan and left this simple and desolate place.The moment the door was closed, the induction system on the side of the door suddenly lit up, and Pin, who was checking the safe houses in the city, went through the circuit and sensed them, but did not find their aura.They miss each other perfectly, and Pin leaves disappointed.

Some islands will temporarily close the communication bridges for various reasons. This measure usually becomes difficult for small islands that have established deep connections.

The gap from nothing to nothing always makes them forget the original premise: the sea of ​​life is an island.