Scumbag's contract canary

"What do you want me to do?" Harun came over with two bottles of wine, and Yuan Xi reached for a bottle.

The two faced the floor-to-ceiling windows and sat on the soft sofa.

Yuan Xi typed two words: Art Exhibition, and pointed the phone screen at Harlan again. Harlan looked down and smiled, "Is it time to congratulate you again?"

During the one and a half years of studying at Rhode Island College, what Yuan Xi did most was painting, which gave him a lot of achievements and aura.Not only did he get the first grade in his major, but he also received a scholarship, in which the final homework of the spring semester was sent to participate in the art exhibition.

Now Yuan Xi is a celebrity in their oil painting profession.

Yuan Xi opened the bottle cap and touched Harun lightly.

Someone over there asked them to play games again, but the two ignored them and continued to drink without taking a sip.

When the wine bottomed out, Yuan Xi's phone rang.

He slowly took it out of his pocket just in time for Harlan to see the screen.

"Wow, he hasn't given up yet," Harlan sighed. "It's been almost a year, hasn't it?"

Yuan Xi lowered his head and let the phone ring by itself for a while. He didn't know what he was thinking, and was about to touch the screen with his hand when the phone was hung up.

Then a message popped up, and the sender was Andrew who called: I will wait for you outside.

Harun saw it, smiled and touched Yuan Xi's arm, "Do you want to try it?"

Yuan Xi ignored him, stood up, took the clothes from the sofa, opened the door and went out.

Yuan Xi walked a little outside the villa along the path.There is a small lake next to it, but it froze very early. It is very quiet at night, probably because the weather is too cold, and even the sound of small insects is rarely heard.

Andrew was sitting on a bench, next to an old street lamp, which was emitting a dull white light.

A thin layer of ice also formed on the ground, and the sound of Yuan Xi's walking quickly caught Andrew's attention. He turned around and found Yuan Xi at a glance, showing a surprised expression.

"You came very quickly." Andrew stood up as he said, leaving a place for Yuan Xi.

Yuan Xi thought in his heart that he came quickly only because he also wanted to leave quickly.

Instead of sitting down, he stood in front of Andrew, with one hand still in his coat pocket, and the other hand typing quickly on his mobile phone.

What's the matter?

Yuan Xi handed over the phone, but Andrew didn't look at it at all, and said rascally, "I want to spend New Year's Eve with you, can't I?"

Yuan Xi looked at him for a while, lowered his eyelashes and shook his head, then turned around and wanted to leave.

"Yuan Xi, I'm sorry last Christmas, can you give me another chance this year?" Andrew asked behind him.

Yuan Xi stopped, not because of Andrew's words, but because someone set off fireworks.

The grand colors exploded in the dark sky, illuminating Yuan Xi's face.

He looked up at the fireworks, stopped and no longer wanted to leave.

Andrew thought it was Yuan Xi who agreed, and was about to talk to him when he turned his head, but saw Yuan Xi's bright eye sockets in the changing colors.

"Yuanxi..."

Yuan Xi looked at Andrew and gestured to him in sign language.The first is to put five fingers together, lightly stick it on the forehead, and then stretch out the little finger to point the chest several times.

I am sorry.

Andrew watched Yuan Xi walk back to the villa alone, and received a text message a few minutes later: Be a stranger from now on.

The place Professor Allen arranged was a coffee shop not far from the school, and the time was in the afternoon.

When Yuan Xi arrived, Alan and Elson were both there. Elson had long hair, and Alan looked much older than before.Seeing him coming, the two stood up one after another. Yuan Xi caught Professor Alan's hand slowly stretched out to him, while Elson came up directly to give him a hug.

"It seems that you are doing well," Elson looked him up and down several times, "you are more energetic than before."

Yuan Xi smiled, and took the drink list aside when Elson wanted to say something, Professor Allen called the waiter for him, and Elson stopped talking.

They didn't exchange much greetings and went straight to the topic.

It was mainly about communicating with Yuan Xi about the art exhibition, and it was basically over after a cup of coffee.

Elson said that the curator and several businessmen who were very interested in this art exhibition came tonight, arranged dinner at the hotel, and asked Yuan Xi if he would like to go.

Yuan Xi touched the handle of the coffee cup with his fingers, and agreed.

The three of them walked out of the store together. Yuan Xi and Elson supported Professor Alan while standing on the side of the road waiting for the professor's car.He is old and no longer participates in such wine tables, and only let the two young people go.

Yuan Xi's scarf slipped off because of bending over a little, and it was loosely wrapped around his neck, with the cold wind blowing in.

Professor Allen was very light, like most old people.

While waiting for the bus, Professor Alan said to Yuan Xi: "I originally wanted to take you with me, and wanted you to be my student."

Yuan Xi stared at him blankly.

"It's a pity that I'm sick, and I really have no energy. It may be that our fate is not enough. Fate, you Chinese like to say this word. I was also one of the judges of that art exhibition. When I saw your painting, I admired it very much. Your talent. I know you will be able to achieve something in this area," Professor Allen spoke each word slowly, in a tone as soft as it could be blown away by the wind in the street, "cherish your talent, you Everyone and every experience in your life."

Yuan Xi lowered his head and listened, showing a respectful and earnest attitude.

When Allen mentioned the painting, talent, people and experience, Yuan Xi felt a lot heavier under his feet.

A few seconds after Professor Allen's voice fell, several horns were heard from the street, and a black car stopped in front of the three of them.

"The car is coming." Allen pressed his weight on Elson, his arms left Yuanxi, and Elson helped him down the sidewalk a little higher than the road.Yuan Xi watched as Elson helped the professor into the car and closed the door. At the same time, another car came to the side.

The car in which Professor Allen was in drove away, Elson and Yuan Xi got into another car, and arrived at the hotel half an hour later.Interestingly, this is a very famous local Chinese restaurant.

The waiters were all Chinese, and Elson reported the number of the box to one of them who came up, and that person led the two of them inside.

The hotel is very large, the corridors are long and wide, and there is no end in sight.

The waiter stopped in front of a door, and the other two waiters beside the door opened the door for them. There was a screen in sight, and some people who had already been seated could be vaguely seen through the carvings. They communicated intermittently in English Also pass it on.

Elson walked in front of Yuan Xi, he was slightly taller than Yuan Xi, and Yuan Xi looked straight ahead when walking, so he didn't find out who was in the box in time.

In the room is a large round table that can seat sixteen or seven people, and the seats facing the entrance are already full.

Yuan Xi followed Elson and continued to walk in, looking at the people he saw with inconspicuous eyes.

This lady with short blond hair was the curator of the art exhibition that Yuan Xi participated in last time. This middle-aged man with a lot of white hair is the president of a listed company who likes to buy paintings but doesn't have much appreciation level... Elson stopped After stepping, Yuan Xi stopped and heard him say, "Are you there too?"

He stood in front of Yuan Xi so that Yuan Xi did not see the person sitting in front of Elson, and only heard him answer softly.

In just one syllable, Yuan Xi recalled many moments.

In his ear or far away, angry or teasing him, coaxing him or hoping to be coaxed...

Elson opened his chair and sat down. Yuan Xi saw a man in a shirt and suit with a neatly tied tie. He was wearing a silver watch and his wrist was buckled on the tablecloth. His bent fingers were well-knit and slender.

He turned his face sideways, and his eyes flicked across Yuan Xi's body lightly, and then looked back in a short time.

Yuan Xi was forced to sit next to the man, and heard him say, "It's time to serve."

Plates of exquisite dishes are presented on the table. Foreigners do not pay much attention to the sequence of etiquette as in China. Everyone chats with the people around them and begins to eat slowly.

Elson picked up the goblet and made some opening remarks. Everyone raised the glasses back and forth, and Yuan Xi also raised the wine glasses.

"And me?"

Before Yuan Xi could react, the cup in his hand was touched, making a small and crisp sound in the noisy environment.

He turned his head to see that the man's glass contained a transparent liquid, which was different from the crimson wine in Yuan Xi's hand.

"Is Mr. Tang not drinking today?" The person on the other side has already asked.

Tang Du let out a "hmm" and put the cup back on the table.

The atmosphere of the dinner was very good, because everyone often cooperates, they are familiar with each other, and there are many topics.Yuan Xi had always played a listening role on such occasions, and Tang Du seldom opened his mouth, only answering when someone asked him a question.

The dinner was only halfway through, and the wine in Yuan Xi's glass was already empty. He drank very frequently tonight, and every sip was more than usual, for some reason.

The waiter came up to pour the wine for Yuan Xi with great insight, and Yuan Xi even moved the cup out for his convenience.

Putting the wine glass to his mouth again, Yuan Xi heard Tang Du say to him, "You drank a little too much."

Yuan Xi just paused, but still took a sip.

A year and a half later, Yuan Xi was already a drinker.

When the banquet was about to end, there was only a quarter of Yuan Xi's wine glass left. Suddenly, a hand next to him reached out and took away his glass. Tang Du's empty cup.

But Tang Du didn't seem to have any intention of drinking, he put the cup in front of Yuan Xi with uncontrollable strength, stood up and walked out of the box.

Yuan Xi poked the chopsticks in the empty bowl for a long time, until someone brought the topic to him, Yuan Xi cooperated with everyone to chat.

Tang Du came back after the dinner was over, he passed behind and sat down again, leaning very close to Yuan Xi with the posture of drawing paper, so that he could smell the tobacco on his clothes through the smell of wine.Yuan Xi was a little sad to find that he could still tell that the smell came from cigars, not ordinary cigarettes.

People stood up and left one after another. Yuan Xi was blocked in the innermost part. He sensitively heard the sound of chairs being pushed away behind him. Tang Du also stood up, took two steps up normally, and stuck to Yuan Xi abnormally. .

Tang Du was much taller than Yuan Xi, his body was also hot, and he had a strong sense of presence, to the point where Yuan Xi could hear his breathing clearly.Elson finally moved forward, and Yuan Xi followed with relief.

When we arrived at the entrance of the hotel, the cars that came to pick up these people lined up in a row. Everyone said goodbye briefly and got on them one after another.Elson turned around and said to Yuan Xi in a deliberate tone, "We're not on the right track, so I'll go first."

The reason is very implausible, but Elson smiled and slipped away quickly, the door opened and closed, and the car drove away.

Yuan Xi paused for a while to watch Elson's performance, but he really felt that taking a taxi away alone was not a shameful or difficult thing to do. Behind him, the voice of Tang Du talking in English with a middle-aged man did not stop, and Yuan Xi took a step , was suddenly held by the waist with one hand and led back, and his shoulder hit the chest of the person behind him.

He heard Tang Du say goodbye to the man next time, and pushed his hand with the palm of his hand, but couldn't do it.

The extra people left, and Tang Du had time to deal with him now. With more strength in his hands, he lowered his head and pressed his lips to Yuan Xi's ear, and said, "Why are you running? I'll take you back."

Yuan Xi still wanted to struggle, but Tang Du let him go suddenly, "Get in the car."

The only car left was parked in front of the two of them. Tang Du opened the door of the back seat, and instead of getting in immediately, he held the door and waited for Yuan Xi.

The outdoor temperature was very low at night, Yuan Xi didn't want to entangle Tang Du too much in front of the hotel, so he buried himself in the car.Tang Du probably didn't expect Yuan Xi to accept it so happily, and followed him in after more than ten seconds.

The driver seemed to have been ordered in advance, the baffles of the front and rear seats were raised, and Tang Du did not tell him where he was going.

As soon as Yuan Xi got into the car, he took out his mobile phone and clicked on the color-matching game he most often used to pass the time.The picture assigned this time is a fairy tale about a sheep and a wolf. Yuan Xi chose pure black for the wolf's fur.After he painted a little bit, the people around him started talking and asked him, "Shouldn't the wolf's fur be navy blue?"

No, it is not.

Yuan Xi wanted to tell him that you must be a wild wolf, or you were wrong, but Tang Du quickly said, "Forget it, you must understand better than me."

Yuan Xi had never heard Tang Du say "forget it", and found it a bit strange, maybe because they had separated for a year and a half, and there was no remnant of any emotion, Yuan Xi thought that Tang Du was sitting beside him now, not It is an unacceptable thing.

It didn't take long to get to school. Yuan Xi sat on the side of the road. Occasionally, a car passed by on the road, so it was inconvenient for him to open the door.

But Tang Du didn't seem to want to get out of the car. After a while, Yuan Xi heard the door on the driver's side open and close, and the driver got out of the car.

Yuan Xi's desire to leave immediately became stronger, he bent over to cross Tang Du, but Tang Du held his shoulders and pushed him back.

"Yuanxi," Tang Du called him, "We have been separated for a year and a half."

Because Tang Du didn't give Yuan Xi the opportunity to explain the matter of going abroad, and said something that made Yuan Xi sad at the airport, Yuan Xi couldn't understand his deep and resentful tone, and just wanted to get off the car and go back to the dormitory .

That group of people was too good at chatting, and eating dinner wasted a lot of his time. Usually, Harlan didn't come back until this time. If he was quicker, he might be able to arrive before him, so that he could use the bathroom to wash up first.

Yuan Xi still wanted to leave, but this time he crossed Tang Du directly with one leg, quite reckless. Tang Du wrapped his arms around his waist when he was very close to him, and let Yuan Xi Slumped on top of him.

Yuan Xi was not as thin as before, but his bones seemed to be stiffer.

Tang Du pressed his face against his back, sticking it very tightly, Yuan Xi's whole body was extremely stiff, blaming Tang Du's arms for being too tight, which made his breathing become short of breath.

Many minutes later, Tang Du really let him go, and opened the car door for him at the same time. Yuan Xi held the door for more than ten seconds before finally learning to walk again.

There was the sound of the car door closing, but it wasn't Yuan Xi's doing.

Tang Du followed him out of the car, Yuan Xi didn't understand what it meant, and had no desire to figure it out, so he walked forward quickly with his head buried.

A thin layer of ice had formed on the ground. Yuan Xi was wearing very warm snow boots, but it was not so convenient to walk on this kind of ground.

In normal times, Yuan Xi doesn't care what form he walks in.He will curl up each toe, hold the book tightly in his arms, take every step very carefully, occasionally think of the idiom "walking on thin ice", and maybe even smile a little on the way.

But now that Tang Du was behind him, Yuan Xi didn't want to be too ugly, so he tried to straighten his back and stretch his body, and put his whole foot down evenly.

The soles of the shoes were slippery, Yuan Xi was thinking wildly again, and soon staggered, Tang Du grabbed his forearm.

Yuan Xi subconsciously wanted to break free, but Tang Du glanced at him, but didn't let go, the hand that was tightly clutching his forearm slid even harder to his wrist, holding it with the strength he couldn't leave.

The two confronted silently for a while, and finally Yuan Xi lowered his head.

Tang Du took a step forward, spraying warm breath on the top of Yuanxi's hair, his voice seemed to have been frozen by the cold weather, "The ground here is too slippery, I can't walk."

Because of his voice and tone, Yuan Xi thought a lot, and his hands loosened instantly.Tang Du used to like to talk nonsense, saying that Yuan Xi did not have emotions, and that his own obvious emotions did not exist, which was very dishonest.

Tang Du held him with one hand, raised the other hand and stretched it around his neck. With the hot air on his fingertips, he woke Yuan Xi from his distraction, shrank back a little in fright, and raised his panicked eyes.

Tang Du raised his head and looked at him, because he realized that Yuan Xi's fear and defense were real, he lowered his head in silence, and kept re-wrapping the scarf for him.

The warm flannelette wrapped around his cold neck, and Yuan Xi realized that he didn't have time to tidy up his scarf.

"Your school is pretty good." Tang Du said without saying a word, Yuan Xi was half a shoulder behind him, and nodded his head inconspicuously.

"Where do you usually go to class? Can you show me?" Tang Du asked, while still holding Yuan Xi, and moved his hand down a little, just touching Yuan Xi's cold palm.

Yuan Xi took advantage of the gap and took his hand away, Tang Du looked at the place where their hands touched, his eyes paused for a moment.

Yuan Xi's fingers were bare, not only did he not have a ring, but there was no trace of wearing a ring.

Yuan Xi stopped on the spot, lowered his head and shook his head greatly at Tang Du.

After a while, no one spoke, Yuan Xi wanted to leave, he moved a step forward, and heard Tang Du sighed very softly, "Are you going back to the dormitory? Let me see you off."

Yuan Xi didn't want him to send him off, but he only knew that Tang Du appeared too suddenly, and he couldn't find a way to deal with him. He didn't want to face it now, he just wanted to see Tang Du disappear and disappear quickly.

So he suddenly walked very hard, his arms bent and swung quickly, and his walking turned into a trot. Tang Du was afraid that he would fall, so he chased after him all the way.Yuan Xi was wrapped in a large down jacket, with a wool hat on his head, only a little hair was exposed, the scarf was high enough to wrap around his lips, and he wore snow boots on his feet, like a dog struggling to walk in the ice and snow penguins.

He didn't watch the road very carefully. At a corner, the penguin stepped on a small piece of grass, slipped and fell backwards, and hit a big tree behind him together with Tang Du. The water droplets and ice balls on the leaves were shaken. When they came down, they hit the top of their heads densely, and the wet place was so cold that it would freeze immediately.

Yuan Xi panted loudly, and the hot air he exhaled turned into clouds of water mist in the cold air, hazy and pale.

He walked this road for a year and a half, one summer and two winters, and he has never been in such a mess as he is today.

"Okay, I just sent you downstairs to the dormitory." Tang Du frowned, his tone became a little stiffer, Yuan Xi quickly stood up again, regardless of the water all over his body.

He felt that Tang Du didn't seem to have changed, Elson had changed, Professor Alan had changed, even he could drink two glasses of wine without getting drunk, only Tang Du remained the same, everything he wanted was justified and confident.

Before walking downstairs in the dormitory, Tang Du didn't speak again. It wasn't until Yuan Xi was about to enter the building that he held him back and said, "Go back and take a good hot bath, don't catch a cold."

Tang Du's tone was very slow, as if he didn't understand these things without talking about Yuan Xi, but that was not the case.

Tang Du said something quite right, Yuan Xi was raised by him at a very high price, and he didn't live very well. On the contrary, he learned a lot by himself, including how to endure the cold winter.

Because listening to Tang Du's words, Yuan Xi stopped in his tracks, and when he had nothing to say, Yuan Xi naturally walked in.

But Tang Du still didn't stay where he was, he followed up, and when he reached Yuanxi, he took out the door card and swiped the door, but he was still behind him.

Yuan Xi pretended not to see it, and waited aside after pressing the elevator.

In fact, Yuan Xi and Harun's dormitory is on the third floor, and they usually don't take the elevator, but today's situation is different, Yuan Xi wants to avoid Tang Du, and doesn't want him to follow.

The second the elevator came down from the twelfth floor, and the number changed from 2 to 1, Tang Du grabbed Yuan Xi's wrist and pressed him against the wall of the corner stairwell.Because the sound was so soft, even the voice-activated lights in the corridor were not turned on.

"Yuan Xi, you don't seem to understand me," Tang Du bent his body and leaned his face against his shoulder, and Yuan Xi could feel every breath he took, "I said, we've been separated for a year and a half." gone."

Tang Du raised his head, pretended to see Yuan Xi's face clearly in the dark stairwell, and leaned forward to kiss his lips.

The concrete walls are hard and rough. Even though Yuan Xi wears thick clothes and a hat, he still feels uncomfortable.What made him even more depressed for a long time was that even though Tang Du said to him "I don't want you anymore", Yuan Xi still couldn't refuse his kiss.

Yes, they have been separated for a year and a half, so long that Yuan Xi would tremble all over because of Tang Du's kiss.Their whole bodies are cold, but the parts that stick together are hot. Hot.Tang Du touched Yuan Xi's ears, sucked his lips, and heard some familiar unconscious hums from him.

They kissed for a long time, Tang Du only backed away a barely enough distance to talk, and smiled, "Yuanxi, you have already learned how to drink."

Yuan Xi blinked twice.

"You didn't know it before. You drank too much in just one or two sips, and you poured it on me, as if you wanted me to hug you." Tang Du touched Yuan Xi's hot cheek, it was soft and comfortable.

But when he said this, Yuan Xi immediately realized what was happening now, and pushed Tang Du away in a very conflicted manner.

Tang Du followed his will and took a step back, but his hand dropped to clasp Yuan Xi's, "I miss you a little."

Yuan Xi lowered his head and looked dully at their intertwined hands, as if his body just now was out of his control, he broke free belatedly, and ran upstairs quickly.

There were only his own footsteps in the stairwell, and Tang Du did not follow.

After reaching the third floor, Yuan Xi stumbled and pushed open the door of the stairwell. In the corridor, Harun was leaning against the door with a black garbage bag in his hand. He seemed to have stood there for a long time, looking at Yuan Xi who was running out of breath with raised eyebrows.

"Uh, hi?" Harlan smiled and walked up to support him, only to find that he was soaked all over, "What's the matter? It's raining outside? Didn't you bring an umbrella?"

Yuan Xi temporarily didn't have the energy to worry about the "you" that Harun said.

In fact Harlan did see everything.

It was a fairly ordinary night, and Harlan returned to the dormitory at a fairly reasonable time.

Generally speaking, he spent more time playing outside than Yuan Xi, so when he found out that Yuan Xi hadn't come back, he felt a little strange, and sent him a text message asking where he was now.

While waiting for a reply, Harlan tore a packet of potato chips and threw away the extra corner of the package. Harlan found that the trash can in the dormitory was full.

With a responsible attitude, Harlan decided to clean the dormitory before Yuan Xi came back, so he put on a garbage bag and prepared to go downstairs to throw it away.

Because the elevator was coming down from the twelfth floor, Harlan took one look and turned into the stairwell on the other side.

It's not ordinary from here today.

Harlan went downstairs while playing with his mobile phone. He walked very quietly. When he reached the corner of the second floor, he heard someone whispering in Chinese.

Harlan couldn't understand, he didn't stop, and went down two or three more stairs before he saw two people standing at the door of the stairwell.

With his back facing him was a tall man with another person in his arms, and the two of them were very close.

Because of the height difference, Harlan couldn't see the face of the person leaning against the wall clearly, but because the hat he was wearing was too familiar to Harlan, he couldn't help but take a few more glances and think for a while.

Before Harlan could come up with any idea, the taller man lowered his head and didn't speak any more. Before Harlan realized what they were doing, he saw their heads slightly shifted, and the man who had been blocked showed his eyes. With his eyes closed, he was pressed against the wall with one hand, and the other hand was put on the shoulder of the person in front of him. He grabbed some with a little force with his fingers while making a weak sound.

Harlan nearly dropped the garbage bag on the floor.

This, this, this... isn't that person Xi?