attachment bias

Duan Chuiyu hung up the phone, Duan Xifeng vaguely heard his conversation, and asked, "Where are you going?"

"Back to Beijing."

"Huh?" Duan Xifeng asked in surprise, "Now?"

"Yeah." Duan Chuiyu said and opened the mobile app to buy tickets. Fortunately, the tourist destination is not far from home, and Beijing can be reached in an hour by plane.

Xu Yafei wondered: "Why do you want to go back all of a sudden?"

Duan Chuiyu said vaguely: "There's something wrong, Mom, you can play with brother, I'll go back first."

"What are you so anxious about? If you are really anxious, the three of us can go back together." Duan Xifeng said.

"No need, I'll just go back by myself. The hot springs for the evening are all reserved, so don't waste it." Duan Chuiyu said as he walked towards the elevator, and waved, "You guys have fun, I'm leaving."

"Hey, be careful on the road!" Xu Yafei shouted.

As soon as the plane landed, Duan Chuiyu went straight to Mingjing Hutong, only to find that he didn't even prepare a birthday gift when he arrived in a hurry.

Without caring so much, he knocked on the gate of the courtyard.

It was already 8 o'clock in the evening when he landed. He thought that he would see Ren Yan as soon as he opened the door, but it turned out that the old lady opened the door.

"Hey! Cubs are here!"

Duan Chuiyu caught a glimpse of the old lady's frown suddenly relaxed the moment she saw him.

"Grandma." Duan Chuiyu swallowed, unobtrusively adjusted his rapid breathing, and followed her into the door.

After entering the room, he still didn't see Ren Yan's figure, but only saw a table full of rich dishes and a cake that was not too big or too small.

Duan Chuiyu was even more puzzled: "Grandma, where is Brother Ren Yan? He hasn't come back yet?"

The old lady's brows that had been stretched just now frowned again. She glanced at the table full of dishes and sighed inaudibly.

"I called him and turned off the phone." The old lady sat down at the table, took off her glasses and pressed the corners of her eyes.

Seeing that her eyes were red, Duan Chuiyu was startled, and hurriedly squatted down and said, "What's the matter?"

The old lady rubbed her eyelids, her voice was a little choked up: "I knew it would happen, I just wanted to feel at ease, so I cooked such delicious dishes after busy work. You said that he is 23 years old, and he has seven or eight years old." It’s been a year since I’ve had my birthday.”

Duan Chuiyu rubbed her knees and asked, "Grandma, what's the matter?"

"Today is Yanyan's fucking death day."

Duan Chuiyu was startled: "What, isn't today his birthday?"

He was a little confused, the amount of information in the old lady's words was really too much, wasn't it her birthday?

How could it be the death day of Ren Yan's mother?

His mother... was gone?

"It's also his birthday." The old lady scratched her reddened nose, "Mom left on his birthday."

Duan Chuiyu was completely stunned, and the top of his head exploded like a thunderbolt.

It's no wonder that even though they are far apart these days, they can feel something is wrong with Ren Yan through the phone screen.

Today, birthday, death day.

October [-]th.

Duan Chuiyu suddenly remembered Ren Yan's WeChat ID.

- 1004.

These simple four numbers originally contained such a heavy and cruel meaning.

"Yanyan's mother left early, on his birthday. After his mother left, he never celebrated his birthday. I heard all this from his father. Later, he came here to study in college. I thought about making up for him all the birthdays I didn’t have in the past, but he just didn’t like it and wouldn’t let me celebrate it for him.”

The old lady's eyes became sore when she said that, she rubbed her eye sockets and continued: "This kid doesn't smile often, and he has a dull temper. He doesn't like to tell people what's going on. He laughs a lot recently. I'm still happy. Thinking about this year I should be able to give him a good birthday..."

The old lady looked back at the food on the table and sighed: "I couldn't get in touch with him the day before yesterday. It happens every year during the National Day. When the holiday comes, I can't find anyone. I'm also free, so I have to do this." A big table of dishes, knowing that he won't come, I still have to do it, don't do it—" She patted her heart, "I feel very uncomfortable."

Duan Chuiyu finally understood why on the phone just now, the old lady said "come to spend time with grandma" instead of "come to spend with Yanyan's birthday".

Even though it is a birthday, it bears such cruel memories. On this day every year, the feeling of loneliness will surely pervade the hearts of everyone involved.

Right now, this loneliness has also penetrated into Duan Chuiyu's heart. He blinked hard, got up and said, "Grandma, do you know Brother Ren Yan's school?"

The old lady rubbed the corner of her eyes and gave the name of the school.

"Success." Duan Chuiyu rubbed her shoulder lightly, and said in relief, "Don't worry, I'll go find him now."

"His mobile phone is turned off, how do you find him?"

Duan Chuiyu came back in a hurry, wearing a black shoulder bag all over his body. He hooked the strap of the bag and said, "It's okay, the big deal is turning the school upside down."

After saying that, Duan Chuiyu ran out the door with his bag on his shoulders.

It's my 23rd birthday.

It was his first birthday after meeting Mr. Ren.

It's time to say in person: happy birthday.

Before Duan Chuiyu went to Ren Yan's school, he searched online which college majored in simultaneous interpretation. After learning about the situation, he randomly asked a college student on campus, "Student, how can I get to Gao Fan College?"

The person Duan Chuiyu asked happened to be a graduate student of the Higher Education Academy. Seeing that Duan Chuiyu had a childish face, not like a college student, she asked, "Are you looking for someone?"

Duan Chuiyu nodded and said, "Well, I'm looking for my brother."

The girl smiled: "This courtyard is so big, where can you find it, and all the students have gone back to the dormitory at this point, what major does he have?"

"Simultaneous interpretation."

"Simultaneous interpreting? I'm in the same major as me. What's his name? Maybe I know."

"Ren Yan."

The girl's eyes widened suddenly: "Is Ren Yan your brother?"

"Ah, you know?"

"Who doesn't know Ren Yan? He is a male god in our department." The girl said with a smile, "You are his younger brother? No wonder he is so handsome."

Duan Chuiyu was in a hurry to find someone, and didn't want to argue with her, so he pretended to leave: "Sorry, I still need to find someone."

"Hey." The girl pulled him back, "Where did you find the high school, you idiot, why don't you call?"

Duan Chuiyu said irritably: "His phone is not turned on."

"Go to the library and have a look. I heard from my classmate that he has been there for a day. I don't know if he is still there. Hurry up. The library will be closed later." The girl pointed to the south, " Well, it’s not far away, the building whose walls are all in English—oh, I almost forgot, let me go there with you, you can’t get in without a campus card.”

There are still a lot of people in the library at this point. After the girl brought Duan Chuiyu in, she said, "Go in and look for it by yourself. I guess he is on the third floor. I won't accompany you there. You have to go back to the dormitory." .”

Duan Chuiyu was grateful in his heart, and sincerely thanked: "Thank you sister."

"Ouch." The girl covered her mouth and smiled, "It's embarrassing to be called that by the handsome guy. The little milk dog is really attractive."

Duan Chuiyu had black lines on his face, said "goodbye", turned his head and ran away sullenly.

The library is not small. Finding someone is like finding a needle in a haystack. Students from famous universities are more hardworking. During the National Day holiday, they spend their time studying in the library. Everywhere they see is people.

Fortunately, Ren Yan has a strong sense of existence.

Duan Chuiyu took two steps inside, and saw that the crowd sitting by the north window not far away was particularly dense, especially girls.

People like Ren Yan should be surrounded by crowds, Duan Chuiyu thought so, and walked over there subconsciously.

Somewhere by the window, there was a familiar figure lying on his stomach.

The man was wearing a large hooded sweater, and he was lying in front of the desk, one arm was pressed under his forehead, the other was wrapped around the back of his head and rested on the nape of his neck, his fingers were slightly bent and inserted into the hood of the sweater.

He lowered his head, his body undulating slightly with his gentle breathing.

From this angle, he couldn't see his face clearly, but Duan Chuiyu could tell at a glance that he was Ren Yan.

His legs were so long that he couldn't fit under the table, so he could only bend his knees to face out of the table.

Duan Chuiyu stood there watching for a while, and when the closing time approached, the students around Ren Yan packed their things lightly, and left one by two.

The last classmate wanted to wake up Ren Yan, but was stopped by Duan Chuiyu. He mouthed to that person, "I am his younger brother, I will call him."

The man nodded in understanding, and quietly left with his notebook.

The sound of people faded away, and the surroundings were so quiet that only the scattered breathing of the two remained.

One is slow, the other is hasty.

Duan Chuiyu squatted down next to Ren Yan, quietly looking at his sleeping profile.

It's a good thing to be able to fall asleep, at least in his dream he was very quiet.

Duan Chuiyu didn't know how Ren Yan lived these days, he vaguely saw the black circles under the man's eyes.

How long has it been since you slept?

The night outside the window was dark, and the overhead lamp cast a beam of light onto half of Ren Yan's side face.

His face was cold, and the light couldn't warm it up.

Duan Chuiyu raised his arm and touched the side of his face with his warm fingers.

He wanted to add some warmth to this face, even if only a little.

The eyelids of the person who closed his eyes moved lightly, his brows trembled slightly, his head turned to one side, and he slowly opened his eyes.

His eyes were bloodshot, and his fatigue was evident. When his eyes slowly turned to Duan Chuiyu, the light in his eyes suddenly changed from blurred to clear.

Duan Chuiyu raised his head to meet his hazy gaze, curled his lips, and said softly, "Brother Ren Yan, happy birthday."