like drinking ice

At night I dreamed about that year again.

Probably because I slept alone, I woke up in the middle of the night, not cold, but feeling empty, the darkness outside the window was like a boundless sea, I was sitting on a solitary boat in the sea, I didn’t know where I would go, in my lifetime, what else would I do? Will come back again.

I sat by the window until dawn.

It was dawn, at first the darkness faded to light, and then there was a clear light, and I heard the housekeeper talking to the cook, it was raining outside, and they were explaining the weather for tomorrow.Said that I hope it will be a sunny day, otherwise it will be a bit difficult.

When I was having breakfast, I asked the housekeeper, and the housekeeper said that Zheng Ao had already gone to work and would only be back at night.

I can't do anything.

Like knowing that school will start tomorrow, even if you play today, you will not be happy.

Guan Ying was probably afraid that I would not understand what she meant, so she sent someone over in the morning, saying, "The old lady asked Mr. Xu to have fun tomorrow."

The butler probably thought that Guan Ying was trying to annoy me, so he put down a lot of things in his hands and enlightened me for a while, to the effect that Zheng Ao was in his position and couldn't help himself, so I asked me to be more careful, in fact, this is the case in this circle kind……

He doesn't know, I don't need to look away.

I don't even have to see Zheng Ao anymore.

I gotta go.

Zheng Ao came back just after dark.

At that time, the kitchen was still preparing dinner, and I was reading in the dining room. The moment he came in seemed like a lifetime away.

"What's wrong?" he asked me.

I shook my head.

I don't have much appetite for dinner, but I still force myself to eat a lot, because I have a lot of things waiting for me to do tomorrow.Zheng Ao probably thought that I had a good appetite, so I was in a very good mood. The butler still didn't give up, and came over to make fun of me and tell some jokes about the chaos in the busy work of the past two days, trying to make me feel less ill.

In fact, I don't have much grudges anymore.

My dad said that life and death are life and death, and grievances are grievances. I didn't understand it before, but now that I think about it, if I leave this time, I probably won't see each other in my lifetime.

Tomorrow he will get engaged, so all grievances and grievances should be written off.

Zheng Ao read a book in my room as usual before going to bed. When I was about to fall asleep, he reached out to turn off the light and was about to go back to his bedroom.

"No need to go." I said softly, "Sleep here."

Zheng Ao raised his eyes and glanced at me. There seemed to be something unspoken in his eyes, and it seemed to be just my illusion.

I moved aside, and he lifted the quilt and lay down.

The room was pitch black, and I was lying with my back to him. We were so close, but something seemed to slip between us without looking back, like a white horse passing through the gap, and I couldn't catch it.

He put his arms around my waist and rested his head on my shoulder.

He didn't say a word until I fell asleep.

On the day of the engagement ceremony, I was woken up.

There were all kinds of noises in the yard. It seemed that Zheng Ao had gone out once during the period, but I still woke up before dawn. When he came in again, he was already dressed. Probably the housekeeper was waiting outside with the ironed clothes. up.I was wearing a tie, and when I saw me leaning on the bed and looking outside, I frowned: "Why don't you sleep a little longer?"

"When I wake up, I can't sleep." My head was still a little groggy, but I didn't feel sleepy anymore.

Zheng Ao walked towards me and stood by the bed, as if he wanted to reach out and rub my hair, but in the end he didn't do anything.

He buttoned his suit and turned around.

"Let's sleep a little longer."

I smiled silently.

So what if you sleep again, people always have to wake up and face the outside world.

When he went out, I asked: "Zheng Ao, tell me the truth, is your engagement really for me?"

He stopped.

It was still pitch black outside the window, and there was no light in the bedroom, but the outside light leaked in from the door of the bedroom. It was conceivable that the lights outside were brightly lit, and the servants shuttled around to arrange furniture and food. The most exquisite and luxurious hospitality was everywhere.

His back is slender and silent.

"Why do you ask?"

I smiled self-deprecatingly.

"It's nothing, I just want to know."

I just suddenly thought of Zheng Yehu.He knew Guan Ying's dedication to his family succession, but he still wanted to have both the family and Lin Wei, and finally he had nowhere to go.To some extent, it can be said that he himself is Guan Ying's accomplice.

And what about Zheng Ao?Does he think that as long as he locks me up for a long time, my edges and corners will be smoothed, and I will let go of my dignity and share a man with his wife in name.After all, I love him so much, no less than Lin Wei loves Zheng Yehu.

Zheng Yehu said that the most stupid mistakes in the world are often made by the smartest people.Sure enough, it became a prophecy.How can a fool have such great ambitions, and how can he have such destructive power, every injury can hit the softest place in people's hearts.

Zheng Ao did not answer.

He stood at the door with his face sideways, but he didn't turn his head. The light from the living room outside shone on his face, his outline was almost transparent by the light, and I could see his tightly pursed lips and gray eyelashes .

After a long time, he said: "Then let me ask you a question, if I divorce the Ye family now, will you forgive me?"

He ended up using the word forgive.

I didn't answer him.

But he has answered me.

There are not so many ifs and not so many answers for things in this world. Now that I have come here, I will go on with a hard heart.Don't ask if, don't ask why, don't hesitate, don't look back, keep going.

When I put on my clothes and went out, the butler was standing at the door, holding a stack of bills in his hand, and talking to some cooks. .”

"Morning." I walked around them, pulled a chair, and sat down on the corridor. The courtyard was already full of excitement, and sunshades were set up on the corridors on the left and right sides, and the roofs were all wrapped in white. Rose branches, milky white columns are also decorated with ribbons and roses, long tables under the awning, white tablecloths with delicate lace, all kinds of western desserts are placed on the dinner plate, there are large clusters everywhere as far as the eye can see Roses and ribbons, colorful balloons make the atmosphere very happy, and the table in the corner is probably for the band to play.I don't know whose family's children are very beautifully dressed in small suits and evening gowns, probably flower girls or something, chasing them in the courtyard, and the servants shuttled through the noise with superb skills.

The butler had finished talking with the cooks and came towards me.

He probably didn't know what to say. He stood beside me and looked at the brand new courtyard, but his mood was much better than mine, and his face was full of relief.

"Sir, go to pick me up at Ye's house..." He probably took my mood into consideration, thought it over, and said, "I'm going to pick up someone at Ye's house."

"Why no red carpet?" I said to myself.

"What?" The butler didn't hear clearly: "What did Mr. Xu say?"

My eyes moved up and landed on those balloons floating in the air. As everyone wished, today is a sunny day with blue sky, which is beautifully set off by colorful balloons.

I turned my face and looked at the butler, who was still waiting respectfully for my answer.

"I said, why is there no red carpet?"

"Oh, Mr. Xu said this." He smiled: "The engagement ceremony was not held at Zheng's house, it was just to receive guests. The real engagement was at the hotel, where the officiant and the relatives of both parties were there. The side is only used to entertain the guests of the family, those children belong to the Ye family, and they will go to the hotel to be flower girls later, there are many people there, so let them play here."

I really want to know how common marriages purely out of interests are in these families. It is so common that the housekeeper thinks that I don't mind, and frankly explains the deployment of these engagement ceremonies in front of me.

It's just that I don't care.

No matter how normal and reasonable, I can't accept it.Zheng Ao is engaged, and with his fiancée, there will be no possibility for me.

I have been with my dad for so many years, and I have not learned his tolerance and gentleness, but at least I have learned one thing—his stubbornness in what he believes in.Even if everyone thinks this kind of marriage is normal and reasonable, I still think it is wrong and deformed, and it is the whole class that is wrong, not me.

However, there is no need to say this out loud.

"Go and do your work." I glanced at the group of chefs who were still talking at the door, and said to the housekeeper, "Now you are needed everywhere, don't worry about me."

The housekeeper obviously liked this sentence very much, and happily walked towards the greenhouse, probably to ask someone to fill up the pots of flowers that were pushed down by the children.

As soon as his back disappeared at the end of the corridor, the group of chefs walked towards the kitchen while talking.

The moment they passed me, the chef who had been watching me raised his hand slightly when he was talking, and a ball of paper rolled into my arms. I gently covered it with my palm and continued to look at the children in the yard.

A centipede, dead but not stiff, Guan Ying has been in charge of the family for decades, and the entire Zheng family has countless ears, eyes and minions. Cooperation with her is indeed the most effective choice.

The group of children was noisy for a while, and they were not happy to play. They were tired of blocking the servants. After looking around for a while, they found me sitting in the corridor. I don’t know who suggested it first, and a group of people surrounded me. come over.

"What are you looking at! What is this?" The Ye family really has strong genes for girls. The leading girl looks like a dragon girl under the seat of Guanyin, with exquisite facial features and a pair of eyes that resemble Ye Susu. The note being read.

I smiled at her: "This is a pass."

"You liar!" The little boy whose hair was shaved like a birthday peach was very upright: "This is not a passport, it's just a note!"

"is it?"

He was probably encouraged and even more proud: "Exactly! I can still recognize the character on it, this character is 'nine', what is nine, this character is the last..."

"Come on, you!" Another little girl was very unconvinced: "These two characters are nine o'clock, and you don't even know Braille."

The little boy wanted to say more, I smiled and reached out to touch his head: "Then can you tell me what time is it?"

The little boy whose head was touched probably became shy and stopped talking.On the contrary, the little girl in the lead is very mature. She is wearing a small white suit with pink edges, a pink cake skirt, white socks and small leather shoes. When she raises her hand, she wears a very delicate small ceramic watch on her wrist. The children all moved over, she studied for a while, and then announced: "It's eight forty-five."

"We're going to the hotel at nine o'clock." Another little girl rushed to answer.

"Yes, then thank you."

In my hand, the note that the children didn't understand said: Go to the back of the kitchen at nine o'clock, there is a bag of clothes under the plum tree, put on, and gather at the door of the kitchen.

At nine o'clock, there is chaos.

The children were taken to the hotel by the nanny, the sound of cars could be heard outside from time to time, and the housekeeper was scrambling to instruct the servants to prepare the things to be sent to the engagement ceremony, but no one noticed me.

The plum blossoms had already finished blooming, and sparse young leaves were growing. I hunched my back and shuttled through the woods until I heard the sound of food being fried in the kitchen.

Under the plum blossom tree, a gray cloth bag lay there quietly.

I picked it up and it contained a kitchen overalls, apron, hat, hood.

Perfectly clothed.

I took off the clothes on my body and changed into work clothes.

I know why the housekeeper was so surprised when he saw me this morning.

I was wearing the down jacket that I wore when I came to Zheng’s house to pay New Year’s greetings, with a thick sweater inside. It was on that winter night that I came to pay New Year’s greetings, and then I was trapped here and never went back.

I originally thought that what I would wear when I came here would be what I would wear when I left.

Unfortunately not.

When I gathered at the door of the kitchen, there were already six or seven people standing there, all of whom were from the kitchen, all wearing uniforms, aprons, hats, masks, and masks hanging on the side.

I recognize one of them as the chef who threw the note to me. He is of medium build and about 40 years old. I know his surname is Cen.I walked over quietly and stood beside him. He was wearing a mask and glanced at me.

When the butler came over, my heart suddenly tightened.He hid behind Chef Cen.

"Okay, the car is ready." The butler didn't seem to recognize me at all, and he was only busy calling these people into the car. He was still in the old-fashioned way, and he was polite to the servants and chefs: "Today is a big day, everyone, please show your skills. "

"Of course!" A young master in the lead answered proudly: "We can't lose to the Ye family, everyone has to earn some face!"

It seems that both families have brought chefs to the hotel. On this occasion, the two families are most likely to be compared, and even the chefs are trying their best to win the honor.

The chef is not sitting in a car, but a large freezer truck that transports ingredients. Although the temperature in the back is not too low, the confined space is not comfortable.Boxes of food materials are piled up in the car, and I sit in the innermost side, next to three water tanks, which contain various seafood.

The car was very stuffy, I was sitting next to Chef Cen, I didn't want to talk, but the young chef was very energetic, he talked to Chef Cen: "Master Cen, I heard that Ye's family are all Cantonese chefs, is it true? "

Master Cen didn't seem to talk much, he rolled his eyelids: "Why do you care about this?"

"I don't want to know more about it! Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will win every battle." He talked a lot, and talked to Chef Cen with a playful smile: "Don't pretend to be old, don't I know? You always heard that you are going to fight with Ye Since they were competing with each other, they hurriedly recruited these two small workers, isn’t this a trick?”

When he said Xiao Gong, he was referring to me and another young worker sitting next to Chef Cen. Only then did I realize that that person was about the same size as me, and even had the same hairstyle.

I understood it instantly.

The people in their kitchen work together all day long and get along day and night. Even if they wear masks and hats, they can recognize them, so Master Cen specially recruited two new workers, saying that they are helping him. In fact, they have the same body and hairstyle as me. Masks, they are not familiar with them, so naturally they can't recognize them, that's why it's so easy for me to sneak in.

Such a meticulous plan is indeed Guan Ying's character.I'm afraid that the reason why the butler wanted to send Zheng's chef to the hotel to cook was because of her intentions.

It's really a scheming that I can't catch up with.

The hotel is not far from Zheng’s house. I’m not familiar with this place, and I know it’s a very magnificent place. We entered through the back door and took the freight elevator down to the kitchen. This hotel seems to be good at Western food, and the kitchen is all Western style. Kitchen utensils and ovens etc.Unexpectedly, it was not busy inside, a bunch of people were waiting inside, and I also knew that the marriage between the Zheng family and the Ye family was such a big event that the hotel was naturally booked out.

The rest of the cooks are at home. The young master started to get familiar with things as soon as he entered the kitchen. : "Xiao Huang, go and bring the grouper here with Xiao Li."

The person called Xiao Li dragged my arm and motioned me to follow him.

The young master was still laughing behind his back: "Master Cen wants to be Lei Feng, and he also helps the people in the hotel move things."

When I walked into the elevator, I heard Master Cen telling him that he was afraid that the ingredients might go wrong.

Xiao Li probably arranged it too, he was very calm, and took me directly to the first floor, pointing to the corridor: "Go."

I looked back at him, he looked like he had completed the task, so I had no choice but to bite the bullet and move forward.

The corridors of the hotel are long and bright, and there are no rooms on both sides, which are tightly closed. I just walked halfway, when a hand suddenly stretched out from the next room and dragged me across.

Wang Xian looked happy and about to cry: "Xu Lang, you are finally here."