diseased bone

evening.

The rain fell in Zhongyang, and there was a clear and crisp sound of smashing on the paper umbrella. Chu Shao held the umbrella with one hand, and turned slightly towards the person beside him.

Zhou Lanmu said without raising his eyelids, "Your shoulders are wet."

Chu Shao smiled at him with crooked eyebrows and said, "It's okay."

There were not many guards behind them, and most of the parrot guards were scattered among the markets, with no one to be seen. In the eyes of ordinary people, these were just two noble men dressed in rich clothes.

Qi's mansion is not located in Xianmingfang, but occupies another separate area separated by a wall in Xianmingfang, and built a majestic palace-like mansion in a completely irregular manner.It's a pity that the prosperity of the past can no longer be seen, and the swallows also flew to ordinary people, leaving only a dilapidated house full of spider webs.

Before he walked a few steps, a guard in front of the door came up to greet him, and bowed his head respectfully: "Greetings to His Majesty, and greetings to the general."

It seemed that he could hear a faint, out-of-tune singing voice, Zhou Lanmu was silent for a while, and asked, "Is his madness still not cured?"

The guard replied respectfully: "He has planted vicissitudes of life for himself, and he insists on refusing to pull them out. Doctor Fang has visited him many times, but he can only keep his life in vain. I am afraid that only the demons can bear this madness." untie."

Chu Shao said: "Then what extraordinary things has he done recently?"

The guard still lowered his head, and replied without a trace of emotion: "Yesterday he hanged himself with the long whip that he carried with him, and was rescued by us. Unfortunately, the long whip was also broken, and he made a fuss. Holding that broken whip and falling ill."

Both of them were silent, raised their feet and took two steps inside.

"Reminiscing about the Xichi meeting in the past. Heron and Feigai... hand in hand, who is here now?"

"Dreams are broken by the sun, and the beauty in the mirror changes!"

Zhou Lanmu stopped first, and stood on the threshold for a long time. Seeing him lowering his eyes, Chu Shao said in silence for a moment: "Forget it, don't look, let's go back."

Zhou Lanmu nodded slightly, but looked back again: "Qi Chu is a poor man."

There was a sudden "creak" sound behind him, and Chu Shao turned around in surprise, only to see Qi Chu push open the dusty wooden door at some point, standing at the door and smiling silly at the two of them.

His hair was disheveled, his dark green gown was stained with blood, and a hand like a jade carving was tightly holding a broken whip. laughter.

"Young Master Lan, Young Master Lan!"

As if he didn't remember anything, he called out obsessively, with an ignorant and innocent tone: "Where did he go, where did he go, can you give him back to me?"

Zhou Lanmu turned his head away, grabbed Chu Shao's sleeve, and said with some embarrassment: "Let's go."

Seeing that the two were about to leave, Qi Chu was suddenly anxious. He held the broken whip in one hand and wanted to catch up, but the guards beside him grabbed his arm in time.Qi Chu couldn't struggle, so he continued to shout at the backs of the two: "Give him back to me—give him back!"

The memory suddenly became clear for a moment.

Qi Chu remembered that many, many years ago, her mother had a love affair with Qi Zhaolu, gave birth to him, and brought him to Zhongyang, hoping to seek asylum.Because of his reputation, Qi Zhao had no choice but to bring the two into the backyard, but he treated them coldly in every possible way, even his mother was seriously ill, so he refused to find a doctor to come and have a look.

Qi Chu bypassed the guards of Qi's mansion, and went out through the dog hole to find a doctor, but unexpectedly, he was caught by a boy in white who was a few years older than him just after he got out.

He didn't know at that time that there was another dilapidated house in Qi's family just across the wall from him, and in the house lived this young man in tattered clothes and bright eyes with a dog's tail grass in his mouth.

This boy has no name like him, he only said that he always wears white clothes since he can remember, and those who came to see him just called him Xiaobai to save trouble.

Xiaobai didn't find a doctor for him, but groped around in his yard for a long time, and brought him some herbs.Relying on these medicines, my mother survived the typhoid fever. Although she couldn't get up from the lingering sick bed, she still had some energy.

Since then, he has often played with the big brother next door.

Xiaobai himself doesn't know his identity, he only knows that he was brought back by Qi Zhao and an uncle surnamed Wei. His memory of his mother is very vague, and he has lived in this small house since he can remember.Fortunately, he is very talented, and by reading a few martial arts books and pharmacopoeias, he has learned a lot.

He took Qi Chu out of the house at night over the wall—there were so many people in the daytime, and he was afraid of being discovered, so he had to sneak out at night.Most of the time, after the two of them slipped out, the night market had already closed the stalls, the fragrance of cosmetics and powder remained in the air, the streets were empty, and only a few paper boats crushed by the crowd could be picked up by the Jiwang River.

What impressed me the most was a winter day of a certain year, when the heaviest snow fell in Zhongyang. I don't know what a good day it was, but all the staff members of Qi's mansion left the mansion early in the morning.The two of them took courage and finally went out during the day.

The whole Zhongyang is decorated with lights and festoons, and everyone’s face is full of joy. The pavilions that are usually only seen in the dark and are completely extinguished are also hung with beautiful red silks and satins.

Qi Chu was not tall at that time, and he was nestled in Bai Canglang's old cloak, but he was just a little one, and asked in a childlike voice: "Brother, is today a good day?"

Bai Canglang raised his eyes to look, but before he could answer, Xiaoer, who came out of the restaurant to drive people away, said loudly: "Today is His Royal Highness Chengyang's birthday, I heard that the emperor is going to establish a crown prince, and the whole country is celebrating—— Go, go, where are you poor children, don't stay at this door, bad luck!"

The two were driven away, and walked against the crowd to the Jiwang River. After walking for a while, Qi Chu suddenly asked, "Brother, what is the crown prince?"

Bai Canglang fiddled with the tattered fringe of the cloak on his chest, and replied nonchalantly: "I don't know, it seems to be something noble, anyway, it has nothing to do with us."

He glanced around a few times, and suddenly said, "Ah Chu, do you want to find something good to try?"

The food and clothing of the two of them were simple in their daily life, and almost every meal consisted of steamed buns and vegetables without any taste of salt. Qi Chu nodded hastily, and Bai Canglang took him behind the biggest restaurant in Xianmingfang.

There is a small lake behind the restaurant, which is frozen. Bai Canglang pointed to the ice and said to him, "I have been to this place before, and this restaurant is very particular, and the leftovers are not eaten by anyone. The ones that were poured out just flowed to this lake. There used to be water, but now it’s frozen, we can chip off a piece of that ice and bring it back.”

Thinking about it now makes me feel sad, but at the time, I just readily agreed. Qi Chu’s memory of that day after that is very vague. I only remember that he opened his mouth and licked the ice cube. He thought it was the most wonderful taste in the world. Do you still remember? Bai Canglang stumbled and fell in that day, although he was rescued, he still fell ill for a long time.

Because of this, he hadn't seen Bai Canglang for a long time.

Until one night two months later, Bai Canglang climbed over the wall to look for him. After being ill for more than two months, he lost a lot of weight, and the bright and bright smile that used to appear on his face also disappeared. , replaced by a pale indifference.

Bai Canglang said: "I'm leaving."

Qi Chu asked, "Brother, where are you going?"

Bai Canglang was a head taller than him, but when he heard the words, he squatted down and stretched out a cold hand to touch his face: "Ah Chu... I know something, if I stay here, I'm afraid I won't live long... You Take good care of yourself, if I don't die in..."

In the middle of his speech, he suddenly couldn't continue. Qi Chu looked at him ignorantly, only to hear him continue: "We will meet again."

After that, it will be another year.

His mother died of illness, and he became more and more handsome day by day. Qi Zhao finally noticed the youngest son, and couldn't help thinking of other things.And he disobeyed Qi Zhao time and time again, and even secretly let go of a girl from a good family beside Qi Zhao. On a certain night, after he fell asleep, he was roughly pushed into a carriage, and together with several servants in his family, he sold it to Ren Yazi. .

The sound of bumps rang from Zhongyang to Shichuan.

He remembered that inn—to be precise, the Nanfeng Hotel, come here.

He was tortured and beaten so badly that he was dying and could hardly survive. It was only by thinking of the distant "we will meet again" several times that he could ignite some hope for life.He was tied up and sent into the room of the first benefactor, who frivolously lifted his chin with a folding fan in his hand, he was trembling with fright, but when he looked up, he saw a pair of star-like eyes.

"I'm late," he said.

For this sentence, he is willing to do anything for him.

Bai Canglang rescued him from Chunlai Inn and headed southeast all the way.Even if he has found out that the other party is not the big brother who was a bit stinky back then, even if the other party wants him to use some despicable means to dazzle Lao Ping Wang, even if the other party personally puts the blood-stained sword in his hand and says that from now on , you and the night mayfly group will call me master.

Whether it is good or evil, good or bad or right or wrong, Chu doesn't care at all. There is only one person in the world who treats him well, and even if that person asks him to die, he is willing.

He remembered that there was a rare moment of warmth between the two of them. He played the piano to each other, and the dewdrops fell on his fingers along the freshly bloomed epiphyllum. He asked, "Master, have you thought about the future?"

"In the future—" Bai Canglang touched the long sword engraved with wave patterns in his hand, he was rarely confused, and said after a while, "If there is a future, I hope you...have a chance to call me brother."

When he was dealing with others, he was exactly the same as before, with a straightforward and straightforward temperament, and he was full of unruly and debauchery when talking and laughing, but he completely changed in front of him.Bai Canglang lowered his eyes and saw Qi Chu lying on his knees, with hair flowing down the silky satin: "Ah Chu, over the years, I have asked you to do a lot. There are some things I know you don't like, you Have you ever regretted it?"

Qi Chu remembered that the tip of his nose was filled with a strange scent of tan, and he replied in one go: "I don't regret it."

So later, when Bai Canglang flew over to protect him under the city gate, he asked again in a low voice: "All these years... have you ever regretted it?"

Qi Chu slid along the door frame and sat down, watching Zhou Lanmu and Chu Shao's backs disappear into the rain, the guards on one side came up and closed the door for him, completely blocking the sad and shrill laughter.

I should have understood on the first day of reunion that I am not a useless puppet in your heart.

I tell you every night when I play the piano, I don't need revenge, I just want to protect the people in front of me.

Stop you when you make every cruel decision, let you let go of your hatred and fly away, that hatred is too ethereal for you and me, how can it be as important as a wink or a smile.

Too bad I regretted it at the last minute.

What about you, do you regret it?

The author has something to say: I finally finished my thesis and will defend it tomorrow!

After the defense, I will probably finish writing the side story!

Note:

Recalling the past Xichihui.Herons fly together.Hand in hand, who is here today.The clear dream is broken by the day, and the beautiful face in the mirror changes.Spring is gone, Feihong is full of worries like a sea.

——Qin Guan "Thousands of Years"