critical

Yan Ji thought that he would fall asleep if he touched the pillow, but who knew that he would feel refreshed after taking a bath and lie on the bed full of energy.Gu Ji was lying next to Yan Deng, she didn't dare to move, she grabbed the quilt and closed her eyes to recall what happened that night.

As a result, the more he thought about it, the more energetic he became, doubts appeared one after another in his heart, and he wished to shake Yan Deng awake to ask questions.Yan Ji guessed wildly for a while, feeling that there was no sound from Yan Deng's side, slowly raised his stiff arm, intending to change to a sleeping position on his side.

"Not sleepy?" Yan Deng said suddenly.

Yan Ji's eyes lit up, turned over and faced Yan Deng: "Not sleepy."

Yan Deng smiled, and his voice was as ethereal as ever. In the bedroom late at night, he sang softly like a mountain ghost in the mist: "They call that 'the Rhododendron of Slattrug'. Legend has it that in the Alps, there are One is called Chekonna Mountain. In the cave on the top of Chekonna Mountain, countless rare treasures are hidden.

On the top of the mountain there is a white chamois named Slaterug, who guards these treasures.Slattrug was all white, with a pair of golden horns.If a person or an animal hurts him, a rhododendron will immediately grow from Slattrug's blood splashed on the ground.After eating this rhododendron, Slattrug will become extremely strong, capable of killing wolves and collapsing mountains. "

Yan Ji thought for a while, then said hesitantly, "This sounds like..."

Yan Deng turned his head to look at her: "It's time to go to bed after listening to the fairy tale."

"Ok."

Yan Ji grumbled, turned over and yawned, and gradually fell asleep.Yan Deng stared at her sleeping face, feeling an unbelievable sense of panic in his heart.

She slowly reached out to Yan Ji, wanting to make sure that the person in front of her was real.However, it is clear that the fingertips can touch Yan Ji's cheek by moving forward a little distance, but after hanging in the air for a long time, they suddenly curl up and shrink back.

Yan Deng embraced the thin blanket and closed his eyes facing Yan Ji.

After an unknown amount of time, there was a "buzzing" vibration in the room.Yan Deng opened his eyes instantly, his back tensed, and his hands under the thin blanket curled up slightly.

After two or three seconds of isolation, Yan Ji, who was sleeping soundly, moved, yawned with sleepy eyes, dazedly touched the mobile phone on the bed, halfway outstretched his hand and suddenly woke up, quickly took out the mobile phone from under the pillow and pressed it. Alarm clock, turn off the screen.

After finishing this, Yan Ji turned his head cautiously, and saw Yan Deng curled up on the other side of the bed, there was a space for one person in the middle of Chuhe Hanjie, and the two of them were sticking to the side of the bed in a very regular manner.

Seeing that Yan Deng was hugging the blanket with his arms exposed, she picked up her own blanket and walked over lightly.

"sneaking."

Yan Ji threw the blanket in his hand and covered Yan Deng's body: "Scare me."

Yan Deng poked his head out from under the blanket, Yan Ji couldn't see clearly in the dark, he just felt that Mr. Yan looked like a small animal, she couldn't tell what kind of small animal he looked like, but it was cute anyway.

He was worried and nervous all night, and only slept for more than two hours now. Yan Ji's voice was low and hoarse, with a smile in his tone, with a kind of doting tenderness: "Sleep a little longer, it's still early."

Yan Deng hugged the two blankets in his arms and asked softly, "Where are you going?"

"I took Uncle Zhou's work permit and I'm going to send it over. My mother will wake up later, so it's just right for me to go over now." Yan Ji dug out a dress from the closet, just about to change into it, remembering that Yan Deng can see in the dark See, so I hung it on my arm, turned around and said to Yan Deng, "Sleep in the middle, don't fall."

Yan Deng moved to the middle.

Moved about two centimeters.

Yan Ji restrained himself from laughing, unscrewed the doorknob and opened it a little, walked out sideways, and closed the door carefully.Afraid of delaying Uncle Zhou's work, she hurriedly changed her clothes, washed her face and brushed her teeth and went out.

The days are long in summer, and at five o'clock in the morning, the sun has not yet risen, and it is already bright outside.The streets are deserted, sanitation workers in orange vests are sweeping garbage, and occasionally vehicles speed by.

Yan Ji has always had the habit of running, and has won the city marathon commemorative award before.After starting Didi and working the night shift, his work and rest were reversed, and he still insisted on long-distance running at least three times a week.However, there have been too many sudden incidents recently, and there is not enough time to sleep.

"The intensity of exercise should be increased so that you won't be unable to run when you are running for your life."

With that in mind, Yan Ji boarded the bus.

She is used to sitting in the back so that she can observe passengers getting on and off the bus.There was only the driver on the morning bus, Yan Ji walked back and sat down in the row next to the rear door.

Yan Ji took out the sketchbook from his bag, opened the last page and wrote the exercise plan on it, and then turned to the front to look at the two paintings of the Iron Tower of the Base Station and Guanqiao Village.

Yan Ji was thoughtful, and opened a new blank page, recalling the sheep farm, while drawing with a brush.Outlined roughly the structure of the scene, Yan Ji did not intend to draw in detail, moved the tip of the pen to the signboard at the door, and wrote——Yan Fu Yang Lan

With a flick of the pen tip, the third horizontal line of the word "sheep" dragged crooked marks on the paper, like a twisted nematode.

That familiar feeling shrouded again, Yan Ji's limbs were stiff and unable to move.In my head, the baby cried shrill-"Wow! Wow!"

This time, Yan Ji was conscious.

It was as if she was standing on the beach, when the waves suddenly rushed in, her body was shaken uncontrollably by the sea water.The huge waves were higher and higher, but they still couldn't submerge Yan Ji's head.

The baby's crying continued, crying heart-piercingly.

The front door of the bus opened, and a woman in her twenties boarded the bus with a baby in her arms.

The child was very small, his face wrinkled and flushed.

Sleep soundly.

Followed by a middle-aged woman, she is also holding a baby, because the two hands are carrying something, the baby is almost caught by her armpit.Probably very uncomfortable, the baby pursed his mouth, opened his eyes, and stared at Yan Ji with the dark eyes.

Yan Ji clenched the sketch pen in his hand tightly, and the baby's screaming cry disappeared in an instant.Yan Ji regained control of her body, she quickly turned her head to check.

On the street at 05:30 in the morning, the sky is gray and bright,

The bus stopped at the Women's and Children's Station, and there were three people on the green platform.A woman in business attire in her thirties is accompanied by an eleven or twelve-year-old girl, who should be a mother and daughter.There is also a girl who is playing with a mobile phone, with her head down and she can't see her face clearly.

With a bang, the bus door closed.

Yan Ji glanced at the other side.

Not to mention the crying baby, there were not many people on the street after five o'clock in the morning.The private car closest to the bus is waiting for the red street light at the intersection more than 100 meters away. Even if a child is crying, it is impossible for the sound to come through.

The bus started slowly, and two women, one old and one young, were talking in low voices.The two babies were wrapped in a thin blanket by them, and their faces could not be seen clearly.

I don't know if it's an illusion, but there is a milky smell in the air, which gradually becomes stronger and a little smelly.

Yan Ji looked at the young woman holding the baby, his eyes narrowed slightly, the more he looked at it, the more he felt familiar.

"Pengxin Liyuan South Gate Station ~ please ring the bell in advance, passengers who get off the bus please bring your belongings..."

When he arrived at Uncle Zhou's house, Yan Ji stood outside the door, concentrating on sensing for a long time, but he didn't hear anything.

It seems that my ability is not very reliable.

Yan Ji silently took out his mobile phone and sent a text message to his mother.After a while, Zhao Yunhe opened the door with her slippers on, her face was not very good-looking.

"Mom." Yan Ji called out obediently, and handed over Zhou Ming's work card, "Yesterday I accidentally took Uncle Zhou's work card by mistake. It was too late yesterday, I'm afraid you guys fell asleep."

Zhao Yunhe took over the work card: "You still know how to send it here, otherwise what would Lao Zhou do if he went to work today? Why is he confused when he grows up, what should he do when he gets married in the future, yesterday..."

Yan Ji didn't wait for his mother to question the teacher, and quickly offered the plastic bag in his left hand: "I see that there are quite a lot of people in the biscuit shop at the entrance of your community. I bought one each for fried crisps, shepherd's purse, scallion oil, and dragon and tiger."

Yan Ji wore a light-colored dress today, with loose hair, no different from what Zhao Yunhe remembered when she was a teenager and went to high school.With sparse eyebrows and gentle facial features, coupled with a gentle and sincere smile, no one can bear to bully her.

Zhao Yunhe rolled her eyes, snorted, and took her daughter's breakfast.

"Mom." Yan Ji asked, "Last time you said that Wang Xiaoping gave birth to twins? How did you know?"

Zhao Yunhe was surprised: "Don't you not like playing with her?"

Yan Ji smiled awkwardly.

Wang Xiaoping and her are junior high school alumni, and both of them live in the Dongfeng vegetable market. It stands to reason that they are at least familiar with each other, but Yan Ji never spoke to her at all.But for a while, Wang Xiaoping was very clingy to Yan Ji, wishing she could not leave her every step like a shadow.

"Just ask, I saw someone on the road who looks a bit like her." Yan Ji remembered the baby's shrill cry, and the back of his neck felt cold and had goosebumps.

Zhao Yunhe pursed her lips, and said with disgust: "This family is very demonic. If you see it, stay away."

Yan Ji nodded: "Well, Mom, I still have something to do, so I'm leaving first."

Zhao Yunhe pondered all night, thinking about how to talk to her daughter well, and when she saw this, she chased her out in slippers and pajamas: "What are you doing, the Prime Minister is not as busy as you, asking you to make friends with you... Wait, wait, stop."

Yan Ji went down seven or eight steps in a row: "Mom, I have a friend at home..."

Zhao Yunhe was in a hurry: "At home?!"

Yan Ji hurriedly explained: "Female, female. Mom, I'm leaving first, by the way, you don't come here anytime soon."

Zhao Yunhe waited for her daughter's back: "Why are friends so precious."

Yan Ji heard his mother complain and thought: Yan is always very precious.

Thinking of Yan Deng, she raised the corners of her mouth and pondered: the things I have encountered recently are quite strange, and they are really a bit monster.Yan Deng must know more than I do, go back and ask her.I always feel that Mr. Yan is still hiding a little secret.

Yan Ji thought about getting out of the community.

She didn't know that a guest came to her within a few minutes of leaving home.

......

A pair of eyes behind the glass of the brown car watched Yan Ji board the bus. The driver picked up the box on the passenger seat and pushed open the door.

At the old stairway of Building No. [-] in Zhengguang New Village, men in suits and leather shoes climbed up the steps, and the sound of steady and calm footsteps sounded.

"Ding dong~ ding dong~~"

Jing Xing was still dressed in the same way, with short hair in threes and sevens and meticulous, smoky gray three-piece suit was neat and docile, and lace-up leather shoes were shiny.

Holding a white square box in his hand, when he saw Yan Deng, the gatekeeper, he bowed respectfully: "Miss, I interrupted your rest. This subordinate is very worried, so he took the liberty to come to the door."

Yan Deng cast a glance at him: "Watch me so closely."

Jing Xing is nearly fifty years old and old enough to be Yan Deng's father. Facing the ridicule, he still has a calm expression: "This subordinate is just worried about Miss, and has no other intentions."

Yan Deng laughed, turned around and walked into the house: "Don't block the door."

"Yes." Jing Xing hung the long-handled umbrella on the handrail of the stairs, and stepped into Yan Ji's house.

Yan Deng was wearing a thin blue blanket, went to the sofa and sat down, resting his elbows on the armrest, and lifted up a corner of the blanket, revealing his white wrists as slippery as fat.

She was sitting, looking down at Jing Xing with a condescending expression, and raised her jaw slightly, signaling him to speak up if he had something to say.

Jing Xing took out the medicine box from his suit pocket and put it on the coffee table, took a step back, and bowed to salute: "This subordinate neglected his duty, he failed to protect Miss last night."

Yan Deng glanced at the medicine box on the coffee table, and slightly raised the corners of his mouth.Her eyelashes drooped to cover her eyes, so that Jing Xing could not see her expression.

The room was silent for a moment, Jing Xing put the white box in his hand at Yan Deng's feet after deliberation, and said respectfully: "I think Miss may need this."

Yan Deng glanced at the incubator on the ground: "As I said, guess, figure it out, but don't test it."

"This subordinate dare not." Jing Xing rested one hand on his abdomen and put the other behind his back, and folded his waist straight down. "This subordinate was rude before, and it is really the responsibility. Please punish me, and please forgive me."

Yan Deng tapped the armrest with his fingertips: "Of course I understand, you are not just my butler, you are the butler of the whole Cornwall. I just want to know, what about now?"

Yan Deng's hand protruded from the blue blanket, holding a piece of silver metal pipe.

Jing Xing slowly raised his head.

Jing Xingliang has straight and thin lips, and the tough lines extend to the sharp-edged jaw, which makes the facial features extremely oppressive, but there is a graceful temperament on his body, and his every move, every word and deed is very decent, which makes people comfortable.

However, at this moment, his eyes shone with fanaticism, like a mad and calm religious man, opening and closing his mouth and jumping word by word: "This has always been what my subordinates have been looking forward to."

Yan Deng frowned: "Really."

Jing Xing stared at Yan Deng like a blazing flame, and the enthusiasm gradually spread from his eyes to his face, and he pulled out a big and weird smile: "Yes, I have always believed that you are Cornwall The most suitable successor. Over the years, with the test standards you set, there are no more qualified ones. They are dying like crazy, only you, only you... So this subordinate chose to accompany you here in person."

Yan Deng also smiled, his eyes were full of rage: "Isn't it because I have an oriental face that is suitable to appear here?"

Jing Xing's attitude is neither humble nor overbearing: "I am very happy that you have this ambition. I am even more glad that you have the wrist and ability to match your ambition. I would like to be driven by you and only be your housekeeper."

Yan Deng nodded slightly: "I need you."

Jing Xing saluted respectfully: "This is my honor."

Yan Deng opened the medicine box on the coffee table with one hand, took out the capsule and put it in his mouth: "You know Cornwall far better than anyone else, I want to hear your thoughts."

"The Cornwall headquarters is still maintaining a balance. As you think, they don't pay much attention to the lady's trip, and they are not optimistic about it."

Jing Xing seemed to have thought about this issue a long time ago, and he talked eloquently as soon as he opened his mouth: "Now that the lady gets the Rhododendron from Slattrug, they will definitely be surprised, and they will pay more attention to the lady. This has advantages and disadvantages. But The white faces are very prominent here, and they hate the opportunities here, and they will eventually compromise, and then you can demand all the resources in the country."

"No."

Yan Deng directly vetoed it: "You should know how precious the rhododendrons in Slattrug are. Although I don't need them, they can be used as bargaining chips."

Jing Xing explained: "Miss, the ones that can be exchanged are the chips..."

Before he finished speaking, Jing Xing felt as if he was being shocked by an electric shock in his head.His limbs twitched, his muscles spasmed uncontrollably, and his handsome face was distorted.

Killing intent surged in Yan Deng's eyes, like a hurricane on the wasteland: "Is it in your heart, in the past ten years, I just changed from a little girl who didn't want to use abilities to a little girl who abused abilities." Girl, huh?"

Jing Xing curled up and knelt on the ground with one knee, and said with difficulty: "...Subordinate, don't dare."

As soon as he finished speaking, Jing Xing shuddered and stood up staggeringly.

Yan Deng opened the incubator and put the silver metal tube into it: "Give me a bald head who can't drive steadily, and I want the azaleas from Slattrug? Not to mention the territory, how much energy is left in the whole of East Asia?" I don’t know the power used, but the Cornwall steward doesn’t know?”

Beads of sweat rolled down the white hair at the temples, Jing Xing lowered his eyes and remained silent.

Yan Deng sneered: "I can't do this little thing well, why should I need you as a housekeeper?"

"My subordinates do my best."

"Also, find a way to transfer two people from Cornwall."

Jing Xing was unexpected: "Do you have a suitable candidate?"

Yan Deng didn't care too much: "Just come if you want to."

Jing Xing tried his best to persuade: "Miss, we will take the risk for this. This subordinate recommends that you choose relatively familiar friends."

Yan Deng's eyes were cold, and he sneered lowly: "Whether I have any friends in Cornwall, the housekeeper will not know?"

When Yan Ji came back, Jing Xing had already left.

The room was quiet, Yan Ji twisted the doorknob and retracted into the deadbolt, slowly closed the door, and then let go of the doorknob.

Putting on her slippers, she tiptoed into the kitchen, put the big bag in her hand on the table, took out her mobile phone and checked that it was only 06:30, thinking that Yan Deng was tired all night and let her sleep more.

Yan Deng pushed open the bedroom door and saw Yan Ji mopping the floor.

Yan Ji was shocked, and explained with a smile: "There have been too many messes in the past two days, so I haven't had time to clean up."

In fact, the house is quite tidy, the bottles, cans, paper, manuscripts, and trash have all been cleaned up, but a layer of light dust is normal.

Seeing Yan Deng looking around, Yan Ji secretly rejoiced that the night at the sheep farm was thrilling, and when he came back from the police station the next day, he cheered up and cleared away all the trash of bottles, jars and drawings.

Yan Deng frowned, thinking that Jing Xing should clean up before leaving.

Seeing Mr. Yan frowned and said nothing, Yan Ji changed the subject: "I bought breakfast, you can wash your face and brush your teeth. I've brought you a towel and a toothbrush, and put them on the table."

Yan Deng didn't go to the bathroom, but walked into the kitchen.

Yan Ji followed in: "Wontons are easy to rot, so I didn't buy them. There are sesame balls, fried dough sticks, sesame cakes, and steamed buns. I don't think you drink soy milk. I bought two cans of milk, all of which are raw milk."

Yan Deng tilted his head to look at Yan Ji.

Yan Ji touched his face: "What's wrong?"

Yan Deng shook his head, and walked to the bathroom without saying a word, while Liu Yanji stood alone in the kitchen, suspecting that his face was covered with dust, took out a tissue to wipe it off, and turned on the faucet uneasy.

When Yan Deng came out, Yan Ji had already opened all the breakfast bags, the milk jug had been inserted with a straw, and the bowls and chopsticks were properly placed.

Yan Deng picked up the milk jug, chewed on the straw and thought for a while, then praised: "Very virtuous."

Yan Ji almost choked on a mouthful of soy milk, and quickly wiped the corners of his mouth with two pieces of tissue paper: "Don't curse, I've only been in the service industry for a long time."

Yan Deng looked at her puzzled.

Yan Ji broke off half of the fritters, tore them into small pieces and soaked them in soy milk, looked up and saw Yan Deng had a strange expression, and couldn't help joking: "My lord, the times are different. I don't understand, Mr. Yan, you need to learn more online , keep up with the trend of the times.”

Yan Deng picked up the half fried dough stick that Yan Ji put in a plastic bag: "Then show me more."

"No problem." Yan Ji picked up a fried dough stick and put it in his mouth. The timing was just right. The fried dough stick was crispy and slightly soft. When he bit it lightly, the soy milk juice filled his mouth with a "click", "Well, let's start with the patient." Let’s get started with mobile phone addiction.”

Yan Deng looked at her, and saw Yan Ji, who was obsessed with breakfast, raised his head contentedly after eating the deep-fried dough sticks in the bowl, and showed a puzzled expression when he met her gaze, and then Mr. Yan said leisurely: "You are rude when talking to others." You're welcome."

Yan Ji was stunned for a moment, sat upright subconsciously, and carefully explained his words: "Sorry, I..."

Yan Deng took out a tissue and wiped the corners of her mouth for her: "Sorry, I don't ask you to order."

Yan Ji laughed, and took the tissue paper: "At least I will be the deputy manager. If I stay there, I might already be in charge of a store now. If I can give you some wool, it will be a free meal coupon."

Yan Deng liked to listen to her talk, and asked along the way: "Free meal coupons?"

"Well, just ask me to find Director Ji. Yan Wang is so fond of little ghosts that he will be troublesome, so he will ask the police station, tax bureau and other places during the holidays." After Yan Ji finished speaking, he held up the soy milk and smiled warmly, "Come on, celebrate our death." escaped, twice."

The two clinked glasses, one with a milk bottle and the other with a soy milk cup.The golden sunlight sprinkled into the house along the mottled walls of the old community, reflecting in their gentle gazes at each other.

There are cars honking outside, children squatting in the middle of the road who don't want to go to cram school, and late-rising office workers with dark circles under their eyes desperately honking their horns.Those who persuaded, scolded, and passed by, mingled together.

The noisy fireworks in the world are both annoying and lively. They are the chirping of cicadas under the shadow of the trees, the squeaking after the snow, the delicious food that burns the tongue, and the ringing of the bell that rang when Yan Ji just wanted to talk about the recent encounter between the two.

Yan Ji picked up the phone, it was a WeChat message from his mother.Yan Ji opened it and saw that it was a screenshot of Moments——

Wang Xiaoxiao Xiaoping:

Golden boy and jade girl, both sons and daughters

I am so happy o(*￣▽￣*)o

【Photo】

The photo is of two little babies. The blankets on the babies are of the same color and pattern as the one Yan Ji saw on the bus today.The two babies seemed to be lying in Wang Xiaoping's arms, and she could be seen holding a stack of bulging red envelopes in one hand.

The two children's faces were a little wrinkled, but their pinks were tender and rosy, and their round eyes looked straight ahead, as if they were looking at the person in front of the camera, with ignorant and pure expressions.

Yan Ji looked at the photos carefully, but didn't see anything unusual.She handed the phone to Yan Deng next to her, wanting to tell her about hearing the baby crying on the bus.

Yan Deng took the phone and glanced at it: "It's kind of ugly."

"It's okay." Yan Ji glanced at the phone, the side screen of the old phone was a little gray, "When the child was just born..."

Yan Deng saw that her expression was not right: "What's wrong?"

Yan Ji smiled stiffly: "It's looking at me."