Out of place

"The fire is in Zhaojiayao?" Cheng Boyan was taken aback, then turned to stare at the TV.

"Near Zhaojiayao, on the other side of the old alley, not far from Dawali, there are houses there that no one lives in," Xiang Xi held on to his arm, his voice trembling, "It's steamed buns! It must be steamed buns! He did it!"

"Don't worry," Cheng Boyan patted his arm, "I'll watch the news."

"I've already seen it!" Xiang Xi roared, "I've seen it! Zhaojiayao! It's in Dawa! That's Uncle Ping's site! Such a big fire!"

Cheng Boyan was startled by his yelling, quickly hugged him, and patted him on the back: "Okay, okay, I understand, don't worry."

"Only one person was burned," Xiang Xi said in a row, "Only one person, who got burned, was it Mantou, Uncle Ping, or Erpan... It was sent to the hospital, will it be sent to you... ..."

"I got it, I got it," Cheng Boyan rubbed his back vigorously, "I'll go to the hospital right away, if you're not in our hospital, I'll help you ask if my classmate is in their hospital, don't worry, I'll help you Inquire, I will help you inquire, I promise."

There is no more information in the news. I only know that the fire was quite big and burned three old buildings connected to each other. However, because they were all old buildings that no one lived in, they did not cause too much damage, and there were no more casualties. .

But who was the one who was injured, and whether he was the one who set the fire? The news did not say, only that it will continue to follow up.

Xiang Xi sat at the table and ate the breakfast that Cheng Boyan brought back. He didn't talk anymore, and he didn't watch TV anymore. Cheng Boyan thought the morning tea here was not bad, but after this incident, he lost his appetite and couldn't taste it. Come on, I can't eat after just two bites.

"I'll send you off," Cheng Boyan stood up, "Send..."

"No need," Xiang Xi ate quite a lot, ate up his share and ate what Cheng Boyan hadn't finished, wiped his mouth, and quickly packed the lunch box into a bag, "If you're not on the way, I'll go Wait for the bus at the door."

Cheng Boyan looked at him and didn't say anything else.

Cheng Boyan drove Xiang Xi to the bus station. When Xiang Xi got off the bus, Cheng Boyan pulled his arm: "Xiang Xi."

"Huh?" Xiang Xi turned around.

"Wait for my call, don't run around," Cheng Boyan said.

"Well," Xiang Xi nodded, "Don't worry, I won't mess around."

"Go." Cheng Boyan smiled.

Xiang Xi walked to the platform, and Cheng Boyan's car stopped for a while before slowly driving away. He sighed softly and leaned against the billboard.

If it was a few months ago, when he heard such news, he would probably go to Zhaojiayao desperately, just like he went to the black workshop that time.

But today he didn't, and he felt flustered and scared, but he didn't plan to go see it.

Apart from the fact that he didn't dare to approach Zhaojiayao rashly, he knew very well that the matter this time was serious. If it really had something to do with Mantou, he would definitely get into trouble if he went there, and he wouldn't help Mantou in the slightest.

Although a little helpless, the only thing he could do was to wait for Cheng Boyan's call.

When he arrived at the supermarket, the time was right. After he opened the store door, Yu Baoquan arrived with a small battery.

"Morning!" Yu Baoquan waved at him.

"Morning." Xiang Xi smiled.

Together with Yu Baoquan, they finished sweeping the floor at the door. Zhang Xin and He Xiaoru both arrived. Zhang Xin greeted them both and went in to change clothes. He Xiaoru greeted Yu Baoquan and looked down when he saw Xiang Xi head, and trotted all the way into the store.

The smile that Xiang Xi just squeezed out had to dissipate, and Yu Baoquan patted him on the shoulder: "Your rejection that day was too straightforward, I guess it will take a while for Xiaoru to recover."

"I don't want to practice Tai Chi," Xiang Xi said, "It's hard to explain if there is some misunderstanding after going around a few times."

Yu Baoquan laughed twice.

There were not many customers in the morning, so Zhang Xin chatted with He Xiaoru while arranging the shelves: "I can see the fire at my house, and it took a long time to put it out."

"Fortunately no one lives there." He Xiaoru said.

"Are you talking about the fire last night?" Xiang Xi was about to mop the floor, but stopped when he heard what they said. Zhang Xin's family doesn't live in Zhaojiayao, but it's in that direction.

"Well, you know that too, right?" Zhang Xin said, "It's terrible. I heard that the police went to the police later, so I was surprised. Do the police still need to go to the fire?"

"Police?" Xiang Xi was stunned.

"Well," Zhang Xin nodded, "I also listened to people talking about it when I was eating breakfast in the morning. I wonder if the fire is too hot and I need police support?"

Xiang Xi didn't speak, his heart sank all the way.

He felt almost certain that it was made of Mantou, but he didn't understand why Mantou set fire to the old house. No one lived there when they were young. There were only a few rooms where chickens were raised, all of which were dilapidated.

What's the point of Mantou burning down those houses?

Why not cook Uncle Ping and Er Pan?

But... if Mantou were to burn Uncle Ping's and Erpan's houses...he felt even more shuddering, then it was not arson, it was murder.

Although he hated Uncle Ping and Erpan extremely in his heart, even if he was almost killed by Uncle Ping in the wilderness, he never thought of keeping the lingering ghost in the darkest corner of his heart all the time. Uncle Ping and Er Pan were killed.

I don't know if it's not enough courage, or not enough hatred.

He had been thinking about it all morning, the more he thought about it, the more he couldn't understand it, the more he didn't understand it, the more he wanted to think about it, the more he thought about it, the more he felt breathless.

When ordering food at noon, he didn't order. He didn't want to eat, so he just went to squat in the small alley at the back door of the supermarket.

He doesn't smoke much now. Although Cheng Boyan didn't force him to stop smoking, he also told him not to smoke, so he didn't smoke much.

But at this moment, he still took out the cigarette case, lit a cigarette and drank it.

Smoke drifted in front of his eyes, and his mind finally began to empty out.

Cheng Boyan called at the end of the break time. Xiang Xi was still squatting by the back door, holding the phone in his hand, and he answered it as soon as he heard the ringing: "Hello?"

"That man is in our hospital..." Cheng Boyan's voice came over.

"Is it steamed buns!" Xiang Xi stood up suddenly.

"I don't know yet, I didn't ask for the name." Cheng Boyan guessed that he was going to the toilet, and there was the sound of flushing water. "Besides, there are police guards, so I can't ask more about the specific situation."

"Police?" When Xiang Xi heard these two words, his legs softened and he leaned against the wall.

"I'll ask again in the afternoon," Cheng Boyan said, "I'll look for you after get off work in the afternoon."

"Don't ask." Xiang Xi bit his lip, "If you ask too much, if something really happens, the police will suspect you, don't ask."

"I know how to ask," Cheng Boyan smiled, "Don't go out at night, wait for me."

"En." Xiang Xi responded.

After the activities at the stadium, the business of the supermarket returned to normal, and there were not as many people there as before, but Xiang Xi walked back and forth in the store all afternoon. Panic.

"Hey," Yu Baoquan was chatting with Zhang Xin while playing with his mobile phone at the cash register, and suddenly patted the table at the cash register, "Have you read the news, there are suspected drugs in the room that is said to be on fire?"

"What?" Zhang Xin immediately moved over.

Hearing this, Xiang Xi felt as if he had been whipped. He froze for a moment, then rushed to the cashier and snatched Yu Baoquan's phone: "Let me see."

Xiang Xi stared at the phone screen, there were several pictures of fires on it, but he didn't know any of the words on it. He was slow to read words at first, but now he was so anxious that he couldn't understand all the words in front of him.

"It's still a rumor," Yu Baoquan said, "but it's quite true. I can't watch the news at night."

"I think it's real," Zhang Xin said, "Maybe the police went there because of this?"

poison?

Xiang Xi returned the phone to Yu Baoquan, and sat down on the cash register.

"Hey," Zhang Xin pushed him, "Where should I sit? I'm tired and go to the lounge for a while."

Xiang Xi stood up straight, did not go to the rest room, and walked slowly to the middle of the shelf.

This is a rumor that has not been confirmed yet, but Xiang Xi believes it all at once, it is true.

During his last period in Dawali, the second set kept bringing those people from Uncle Ping's house, those who were not in the same "circle" with Uncle Ping, those who were in the "big crime circle".

Xiang Xi wasn't sure if this was what they were doing, but he knew that the fourth child who had asked him to buy food, heard from Mantou that he had a younger brother selling medicine in a bar.

Xiang Xi felt the chill spreading from his fingertips to his whole body.

Mantou really risked his life to do something big.

After getting off work in the afternoon, Xiang Xi helped his colleagues on the evening shift order good goods and returned to the hut.

At this time, he should eat something, but he is not hungry. He has not taken a sip of water since morning, but he feels nothing, neither thirsty nor hungry.

From the heart to the head, it is stuffy.

The air conditioner in the hut was on, but he still felt suffocated, and it was blocked again after taking a deep breath for two seconds.

He turned on the TV, waited for the city news at 08:30, sat on the bed in a daze until after eight o'clock, when his cell phone rang, it was Cheng Boyan's call.

"Are you off work?" Xiang Xi answered the phone and didn't speak for more than two hours, his throat was strangely dry.

"It's off, it's already at the entrance of your supermarket," Cheng Boyan said, "Are you coming out or am I going in?"

"You... come in," Xiang Xi didn't want to miss the news, "you park the car, I'll go out and bring you in."

Cheng Boyan parked the car in a parking space on the side of the road. When he got off the car, Xiang Xi turned out from the small alley next to the supermarket and waved at him.

He took a bag from the car and passed it to Xiang Xi across the street: "I don't know if you like it or not."

"What?" Xiang Xi took the bag and looked inside, there were two large cups from the milk tea shop, a cup of diced fruit doused in sugar, and a cup of burnt jelly, all of which were still iced.

"I guess you didn't eat well." Cheng Boyan stretched out his hand and squeezed the back of his neck, "This is iced and refreshing. Eat something sweet when you're in a bad mood."

Xiang Xi lowered his head, held two cups and led Cheng Boyan into the hut through the back door, without saying a word, the uncomfortable feeling in his heart was washed away by the icy coolness in his palm.

"Have you read the news on your mobile phone?" After entering the hut, Xiang Xi sat on the edge of the bed, lowered his head and picked up the diced fruit with a small spoon, took two bites, and it tasted good, "It is said that there are... drugs, I am now Waiting for the news."

"Well, I heard." Cheng Boyan sat next to him and put his arms around his shoulders, "Let's see what the news says."

"The man in the hospital..." Xiang Xi asked in a low voice while eating, but he didn't dare to ask any more after he opened his mouth. On the one hand, he hoped that it was a steamed bun, but on the other hand he didn't want it to be a steamed bun.

"Young people around 20 years old." Cheng Boyan said.

Xiang Xi's hand holding the spoon paused, scooped up a piece of diced mango, and dropped it on his clothes before reaching his mouth: "It's steamed buns, it must be steamed buns."

"Not sure yet," Cheng Boyan picked up the diced mango on his clothes, looked at it for a long time and didn't know where to throw it, "but the injury is not serious, the burn area is not large, and the main body is trauma."

"Trauma?" Xiang Xi frowned, then looked at the diced mango in Cheng Boyan's hand, "Throw it on the ground, the trash can is outside the door."

Cheng Boyan stood up, intending to take the diced mango to the door and throw it.

As soon as he stood up, Xiang Xi followed him and stood up close to him. He was stunned and then smiled, putting his arms around Xiang Xi's shoulders. The two walked to the door side by side, opened the door, walked out, and threw Drop the diced mango.

Back into the house side by side, close the door, turn around and go back to the bed and sit down side by side.

The commercial on TV was over, and the music of the news started, Xiang Xi sat up straight suddenly, the cup in his hand was almost crushed by him.

"Don't spill it," Cheng Boyan brought the cup over and took a spoonful of diced mango, "You want to eat mango, don't you?"

"Yeah." Xiang Xi stared at the TV.

Cheng Boyan handed the diced mango to his mouth, and he opened his mouth to eat the diced mango.

The headline of the news was indeed the fire. When the anchor was talking nonsense at the beginning, Cheng Boyan saw the words below the screen at a glance.

Drug-making tools were found at the scene of the Zhaojiayao fire, which was suspected to be a drug-making den.

Immediately afterwards, the scene shifted to the scene of the fire, where the reporter stood in front of the half-burned house with a microphone.

Xiang Xi probably didn't have time to read the words, but he could still understand them.

He stared at the screen motionless, his hands were shaking slightly, and Cheng Boyan's arm still around his shoulder could feel his body trembling.

"Xiang Xi." After the news was broadcast, Cheng Boyan retracted his arms and called him softly.

"Did you hear that?" Xiang Xi said, still staring at the TV.

"I heard it." Cheng Boyan said.

"It's made of steamed buns," Xiang Xi pointed at the screen, "I just said that the arson suspect has woken up, and the police are conducting further investigation."

"Well, I heard it." Cheng Boyan said.

Xiang Xi didn't speak anymore, and lay down directly on the bed, staring at the ceiling, and said for a long time: "I thought he was going to burn Er Pan to death."

"It will be troublesome if it burns to death," Cheng Boyan scooped up a spoonful of fruit and handed it to his mouth, "Papaya?"

"Steamed buns, are you smart?" Xiang Xi opened his mouth to catch the diced papaya, chewed it twice, and then laughed for a while before saying, "These things belong to Uncle Ping, he drove Uncle Ping to a dead end." gone."

"You know that Uncle Ping does this?" Cheng Boyan looked at him and asked.

"I don't know," Xiang Xi withdrew his smile, "I'm just guessing. Before I left, the fourth brother's gang always came over, seeing Tian'er staying in Uncle Ping's room."

"If this is the case," Cheng Boyan thought for a while, "Mantou chose the most self-protective method. No matter whether he reports it or burns Uncle Ping, he may be retaliated against. This will burn their den... at least Now he will be well protected."

"Well," Xiang Xi raised his eyebrows, "really smart."

Cheng Boyan didn't make a sound, he was in a daze with the cup of diced fruit in his hand, poking the spoon back and forth in the diced fruit, Xiang Xi kept looking at him.

Mantou will not die, Mantou is safe now, if this matter has something to do with Uncle Ping, then Uncle Ping will definitely not be able to escape and will be arrested...

Although this matter still makes Xiang Xi feel a little uneasy, it can be classified as a good thing, except for the uncertain future of Mantou, going to jail?How many years have you been sitting?

Cheng Boyan looked a little restless, which made him a little confused. Cheng Boyan was not doing this for the steamed buns, but only for himself.

But why?

When Cheng Boyan subconsciously scooped up a spoonful of sugar water and put it into his mouth, Xiang Xi finally touched his arm: "What's wrong with you?"

Eating someone else's food with someone else's spoon is something that Cheng Boyan would never do under normal circumstances.

"Huh?" Cheng Boyan looked at him.

"You drool on me." Xiang Xi said.

Cheng Boyan froze for a moment, put the spoon back into the cup, and handed it to Xiang Xi: "Go ahead and eat."

"What's wrong with you?" Xiang Xi took the cup and asked again.

"Xiang Xi," Cheng Boyan frowned, "Here in the supermarket, resign."

"What?" Xiang Xi was stunned, and sat up with his arms propped up, "What did you say? Resign?"

"Well," Cheng Boyan still frowned, "stay with me."

"What?" Xiang Xi was even more surprised. He didn't know what Cheng Boyan meant, nor what he meant at this time.

cohabitation?

"The den was burned, so it will definitely be exposed," Cheng Boyan looked at him, "As long as Uncle Ping and Erpan are not fooled, they must have run away last night. The police also said that further investigations are underway, and they did not say that they were arrested for drug production. Man, do you understand what I mean?"

"You mean Uncle Ping will..." Xiang Xi said softly.

"If he doesn't know that Mantou did it, he has to infer who did it," Cheng Boyan said slowly, "It should only be you or Mantou, right? Whether it's his enemy or an accomplice, it doesn't matter if it's his enemy or his accomplice. It’s not all good.”

"Well," Xiang Xi understood Cheng Boyan's meaning, "Mantou is in the hospital now, if he wants revenge... he can only find me?"

"I'm not sure, it's just a possibility," Cheng Boyan stood up, "This kind of person, if forced to this extent, can do anything."

Xiang Xi suddenly felt a chill down his back.

"But..." Xiang Xi still hesitated, even though he knew that even if Uncle Ping and Er Pan had no time to find him if they wanted to run for their lives, their subordinates would not be able to come looking for him, but if he asked him to say a word, he would give up his current job and the relationship he just had just had. He was reluctant to start a new life.

"Even if Mantou found you that day because he had followed you before, he finally found it. It is not difficult for others to find you." Cheng Boyan walked around the hut, "We can't take risks."

"Then my job..." Xiang Xi still hesitated.

"You can still find it. You can go to the tea house after two or three months. It's not a problem." Cheng Boyan walked up to him and bent down to look at him. "Now I want you to live in my house and go out. With me following, stay under my nose."

Xiang Xi opened his mouth and said nothing.

"Understood?" Cheng Boyan still looked at him.

"I understand," Xiang Xi said, "but... I'm afraid..."

"Getting into trouble for me?" Cheng Boyan smiled, "When you told me 'Brother save me' in the back of my car half dead, when you had no place to live and I brought you home, I was already Wrapped up with trouble, it's a little late to say that now."

Xiang Xi didn't speak, got up and knelt on the bed and hugged Cheng Boyan.

"Calm down, don't be so polite." Cheng Boyan also hugged him and shook him slightly.

"I can't hold her in my arms." Xiang Xi smiled.

"Don't think so much," Cheng Boyan patted his butt, "I'll call Song Yi now."

"...I'm sorry for him." Xiang Xi sighed lightly, and patted Cheng Boyan's butt.