Xingchuan

It was too late, and the car to the outer city was long gone.Li Xingchuan rode to the bus stop, saw that the iron gate was closed and the hall was pitch black, so he turned around and went straight to the highway without even getting off the bus.The wind at night was icy cold, and the gloves Ling Yi bought for him came in handy at this time.

Thankfully the gas station is still open.

"How much?"

"Full."

"Heh, top up on New Year's Eve." The staff yawned and glanced at him unhurriedly, "Are you rushing home or...?"

"Looking for something."

"What is so important that you have to travel a long way in the middle of the night."

After swiping the card, Li Xingchuan put the baffle back, the helmet covered his indifferent face again, and then turned the handlebar to accelerate away.

Looking at his leaving back, the staff smiled jokingly: "What's worth being so nervous about? For the older ones, add a tank of gas. I'm not afraid of losing my legs on the road." After speaking, he went to the duty room humming a song dangling.

In the empty gas station, apart from his singing, there seems to be the sound of the party coming from the TV. The host is wishing the people of the whole country a happy new year.It was already nine o'clock in the evening, and those who wanted to go home had gone home early, and those who hadn't returned home were either homeless or had a home and couldn't go back, except for Li Xingchuan.

He has a home to return to, but he's on the road right now.

He was not familiar with the road to Ling Yi's hometown, this was the first time he drove there by himself, and he had to stop for a while to look at the navigation.Although there are few cars, the national highway is a national highway after all, and every stop is a great risk, so he tries to be quick in every movement, and after three times, he simply memorizes the names of several intersections and puts his phone in his jacket.

The dark and quiet mountain road is completely different from the bustling urban area. The tip of the nose smells only dust and pine branches, and there is no New Year's atmosphere.He rode against the cold wind for more than three hours without a drop of water on the way, and finally saw another city landmark.

When we arrived downstairs at Ling Yi's house, the whole building was brightly lit, and Spring Festival couplets were posted at the entrance of the corridor. Even though it was still dilapidated, there was joy everywhere.

Li Xingchuan stopped the motorcycle towards the side of the building, then looked up to find Ling Yi's room.

No lights on.

When dialing a number with his mobile phone, he stood upright, his back stretched like the string of a strong bow.Hearing the waiting tone, his eyes were fixed on the window.

Suddenly, the phone rang.

His Adam's apple rolled suddenly: "Ling Yi?"

"Ok?"

The familiar voice came to his ears first, like a hot medicine down his throat.Then the lights in the upstairs room clicked on.Li Xingchuan felt that he was rescued from the dark well, and the suffocation suddenly dissipated.

"What's wrong, Xingchuan." Ling Yi didn't realize it.

Li Xingchuan tightened his fingers: "What are you calling me this afternoon?"

"That, it's my little nephew who pressed the wrong button, he was playing games on my mobile phone."

"I called you three times but didn't answer, won't you call me back one?"

"I never got my phone back, so I didn't see it."

Forget it.

"Hey Xingchuan—!" Before he hung up, Ling Yi hurriedly called him, "Don't hang up yet."

Li Xingchuan had an irritable expression, his back slumped, and he leaned loosely on the motorcycle, "So what."

"Did you have meal?"

"What do you say?"

"When did you eat it?"

"Five o'clock."

"...Where are you, why did I hear the wind around you?"

"Open the window."

He answered casually.It will be zero o'clock soon, and riding back now is nothing more than New Year's Eve on the road, so it's better to go out and find a hotel for one night.

Don't know of any good places for a night around here.There must be hot water, and the conditions should not be too bad. It is best to arrive before midnight.He didn't want to listen to the countdown on the road.

"Xingchuan, Xingchuan?" Ling Yi called him, "Are you listening?"

Li Xingchuan clicked his tongue: "I'm not deaf."

Ling Yi smiled: "I'm afraid you'll die."

"Hiding in the room and calling for so long, aren't you afraid that your aunt won't be with you?"

"How do you know I'm hiding in the room..."

Li Xingchuan raised his eyes to look at the glass in his room, the bean-yellow curtains were closed tightly, and there were reflections of branches on it, vaguely, like Ling Yi's silhouette, slim and slender.

Knowing it wasn't, but she couldn't move her eyes away like a ghost.

After watching for a while, he stepped into the car, "Don't call me at night."

"What's the matter, are you busy?" The voice was full of disappointment.

"Too lazy to wait."

Ling Yi hesitated: "Then can I call you earlier?"

"How early."

"Is it okay during the countdown? Don't go to sleep first, and you will be woken up by firecrackers when you go to bed early."

Li Xingchuan paused, then hummed, "Hang up."

Then he simply put away the line, turned around and rode out of the community.

The sanitation of this place must be perfunctory, the fallen leaves accumulated on both sides of the road have almost submerged the feet.He couldn't ride fast, but the tires ran over dead leaves and would crunch into pieces, and then be rolled around again.

I rode around the neighborhood, but couldn't find any decent hotels, and finally chose a hotel that was closer to Lingyi, called Carnival.The signboard of the hotel is twisted with red light pipes, and it is very conspicuous hanging outside the earth-colored wall. The light box at the entrance reads vertically: hot water and air conditioner, [-] small beds, [-] big beds.

The front desk is dozing off.

He knocked on the table: "I want a room."

The head on the opposite side suddenly fell, and then woke up, with a displeased face: "Big bed or small bed?"

"big bed."

"Pay the money first. There is only one big bed. Turn right on the second floor and go up by yourself."

"No need to register?"

The other party glanced at him and laughed happily: "You can log in if you want, here, the book is here."

A thin registration book, full of finger prints and oil stains, and the names are almost all made up.This is the worst place he has ever lived in his life.

After boarding, take the key and go upstairs, and when you open the door, you will be greeted by the smell of dust.The TV was broken, and the air conditioner was so old that it could be buried in the ground. When it was turned on, it buzzed continuously, and it was still cold for a long time.He frowned, opened the kettle with two fingers, and quickly closed the lid after seeing the thick scale inside.

What a special Spring Festival.

He sat directly on the bed, not even wanting to take off his clothes.After sitting for 2 minutes, Xie Siyun called: "Where are you, Xingchuan? Why didn't your mother answer your calls? She already called me! Give me back my gastroenteritis... did you curse me like that?" ? Fortunately, I reacted quickly enough to take care of it for you, or you would just wait to hear your mother talk about it."

Li Xingchuan held up his mobile phone and looked around. The wall was damp and peeling, so the sound insulation must be poor.There is a box of condoms next to the bed, and the price tag is printed with 50 yuan, which is really dare to mark it.He found another lighter with a small advertisement printed on it, and he ignited it: "Are you home?"

"Otherwise? You thought everyone was like you and ran out on New Year's Eve. Seriously, what are you doing and where did you go?"

"Didn't run away," he leaned against the bed and put one foot on the bed, "it's rare that there are few people on the road, so drive around."

"I'm sick. Pay attention to safety. If you hear me, go back early after you've ridden enough. Don't keep cursing me for being sore and itchy. Be careful and I will infect you when you return to school."

"Then stay away from me."

"Fuck you." Xie Siyun on the other end of the phone smiled, the laughter was very gentle, with a sense of steadfastness after returning home.After a pause, he said: "Happy New Year Xingchuan, I wish you all the best in the coming year, enlist in the army and become famous!"

Li Xingchuan also smiled faintly: "Happy New Year, all wishes come true."

"It's so simple, you can die if you say a few more words."

"I still have something to do, hang up."

"Okay, hang up, see you later."

After making this call, there is only 1 minute left before zero.Fireworks have already started to be set off outside, and the bang bang bang is disturbing the quiet, and the colorful lights are reflected on the windows.Li Xingchuan held the phone, slid his finger to Ling Yi's name, and hung his thumb above the screen.

As if he had a good heart, Ling Yi dialed over at this time.Li Xingchuan raised his hand to turn off the only light in the room. He likes to listen to Ling Yi's speech in a dark environment, eliminating all interference, and any emotional fluctuations cannot escape his ears.

"The line I called you just now has been busy... Who are you chatting with?"

"Who else is there, Siyun."

"Why don't you talk again, is it over?" The tone was sour, "I thought you forgot our appointment again."

Li Xingchuan laughed silently: "You're never finished."

As soon as the voice fell, the volume of the TV in the next room suddenly increased: "Five, four, three, two, one! Audience friends, the new year has begun, let us..." Then it gradually decreased, and at the same time came Vaguely complaining: "Scared me."

I guess I pressed the wrong key.

Ling Yi snorted: "Almost missed it. Xingchuan, happy new year."

"Happy New Year."

"I hope we can spend the Spring Festival together next year."

Li Xingchuan touched the short hair on the back of his neck, feeling it was sticky: "When you go abroad, I will join the army, where will we go together?"

The two have never shy away from the future, and have been living a life where there is no tomorrow.Ling Yi was silent for a moment, and said, "I haven't saved enough money yet."

"Yes, then I wish you a fortune."

"Xingchuan..."

Bright fireworks were set off outside, and the voice of the phone became a little inaudible.Li Xingchuan asked, "What?"

"Xingchuan, I..."

"Can't hear clearly."

"I--"

"Can't hear clearly, speak up."

A burst of fireworks passed, only to hear Ling Yi yelling over there: "I miss you!"

Li Xingchuan asked, "I really want to imagine it."

"Of course it's true. What did I lie to you about. Do you miss me?"

Li Xingchuan didn't answer directly, but asked, "Is Auntie asleep?"

"Sleeping. She seems to be in a bad mood this year. She said earlier that she wouldn't let me accompany her, so she went back to her room to listen to scriptures."

"Where's Yang Bin?"

"I went to bed early, why did you ask him?"

"Where's your nephew?"

"Going home with his mother."

A room with poor sound insulation is like a theater. You are surrounded by other people's noise and you are silent. Li Xingchuan seems lonely in this city.

"Pack up your things and go downstairs, I'll pick you up downstairs."

Ling Yi exclaimed: "What?"

"I'll just wait for half an hour, no waiting."

"You didn't lie to me? You came? When did you come? Did you come here specially to find me?" Ling Yi asked questions like cannonballs, completely unbelievable.

Li Xingchuan had already got up to get his clothes: "Bring something to eat, and bring down a bed sheet. I'm not used to sleeping on a hotel bed."

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