West coast

Ever since Wang Yiding became a Senior, he suddenly realized that the promotion was actually a trap.The salary has not increased much, but the work on hand has doubled. Not only do I still have to write code, but I also have to take care of my younger brothers.But this little guy who grew up in the United States didn't obey at all, he was possessed by a bully, and he was used to refuting whatever was said to him.

Not only at work, but even when we get along with each other in daily life, the little brother also has thorns everywhere.Once he complained in person that Wang Yiding used too much "should" when talking to him, saying that frequent use of such words would make him appear superior and disrespect his subordinates.

Wang Yiding listened to his heart:? ? ?

Today, Wang Yiding, as the representative of their group, had a meeting with another large group for the first time. For this, he made sufficient preparations in advance, read the meeting process carefully three times, and detailed the issues to be discussed. I made a rough draft.

Since most of the members of the other group are in Japan, this time it was a remote video conference.In order to coordinate the time difference between the two sides, the meeting was arranged at [-] pm in San Francisco and [-] am in Japan time.

Wang Yiding spoke first, went through the main links of the meeting and the goals of the discussion in a leisurely manner, and then respectfully invited the person in charge of the Japanese side to speak.

Sato from the Japanese group: "@##￥%￥%&...*&*...%#￥#%...*"

Wang Yiding was stunned and didn't understand a single word.He asked, "Mr. Sato, can you say that again?"

Sato repeated again: "@##￥%￥%&...*&*...%#￥#%...*"

Wang Yiding still didn't understand a single word, his face turned green, and he asked in a trembling voice, "I'm sorry Mr. Sato, our Japanese is limited, can you say it again in English..."

This time, Wang Yiding barely understood what Sato said: "What I just said was English..."

Wang Yiding: "...Smith Code Three"

Linda on the side pinched her thigh to hold back her laughter, until her veins burst out.

Fortunately, Alex has studied Japanese for several years, so he has a little understanding of Japanese pronunciation habits in English.He hurried to save the scene, and said to Sato in the video: "Sorry, Mr. Sato, there may be a problem with the sound output device on our side, and my colleague has not heard clearly. I will connect you with the following process .”

Wang Yiding's inner OS: "Damn! Why did you lose face in front of your own man! God!"

After finally making it through to the end of the meeting, Sato hung up the phone very politely, but it can be seen from the video that his face looked a little ugly.

Wang Yiding walked out of the meeting room, his armpits were drenched with sweat, and he muttered and complained, "Where did you come from with a big accent..."

It was rare for Alex to take the initiative to walk up to Wang Yiding and said, "I have a class reunion tonight, you should go home first after get off work."

Wang Yiding became alert all of a sudden, and asked: "Student reunion? Is there anyone who shouldn't appear?"

Alex understood what he meant: "The person who shouldn't appear is now in China, what are you worried about?"

Wang Yiding pouted, walked over and pulled up the zipper of Alex's coat to the highest point, the collar covered Alex's mouth.Wang Yiding said: "You wear more clothes, don't be caught by any old classmates!"

------

This text message from the high school monitor has been lying on Alex's phone for a week.

"Alex, we have a class reunion this week, and a lot of classmates have moved to San Francisco. I've called you three times, so I'm sure you won't come this time."

Alex considered for a few days, but decided to go to the appointment, he finally replied: "Place and time?"

Although Alex is reluctant to participate in these seemingly incompatible classmates, he is an adult after all, and he can't treat interpersonal relationships as he wanted when he was a child.

To be fair, the party was at a Shanghainese Chinese restaurant in San Mateo, a half-hour drive from downtown and the South Bay.

The old squad leader recognized Alex from afar, and waved him warmly to come and sit down. As soon as Alex took his seat, he quickly glanced at everyone present. The students were tall, short, fat and thin. He could only vaguely recognize the outlines of high school, and he didn't even recognize many of them.

He checked carefully, and that person didn't come.

Thinking of this, Alex laughed at himself in his heart: "Why did he come? He's obviously married and had children in China."

Classmates, you chat with me sentence by sentence.

Classmate A: "Hey, let me tell you, I have to pay tens of thousands of taxes this year! I'm so worried."

Classmate B: "What's wrong? The company didn't leave enough tax for you when it paid you?"

Classmate A: "No, no, who counts on salary. The main reason is that I sold some company stocks and made some money accidentally. I went to the tax accountant, and they were surprised to ask me if I really made so much money. They are also worried about whether they are dazzled."

Everyone perfunctory: "It's awesome."

Classmate C: "Oh, I'm also very annoyed recently. We spent 250 million dollars to buy a school district house for our children to go to school. We increased the price three times, and finally won the bid. But, this house is from the 60s, The walls are moldy, it's like a cowshed, and it has to be knocked down and rebuilt, which is too much effort."

Everyone laughed but didn't laugh: "It's amazing."

Classmate D: "I was looking for a job recently, and I got an offer from Google and Facebook. At first, choosing between the two was enough to give me a headache, but the domestic Tencent came to poach me again, and now I have a headache again. Shouldn't it be time to go back to China? Alas!"

Everyone responded casually: "Great God, Great God."

……

Alex couldn't get used to this kind of Versailles speech and professional exchanging, so he ate with a sullen head.I warned myself in my heart: "Next time, I will never come to such a party full of hypocrisy and boasting."

In order to survive the time, he ate crab roe and corn one by one, hoping that the time would pass quickly so that he could go home and play games with Wang Yiding on the sofa.

Suddenly someone patted his shoulder lightly, startling him for a moment, and the corn on the chopsticks was shaken off.

He turned around and found Tang Yi standing behind him.

He... really came.

Just like in high school, Tang Yi, the captain of the track and field team, is still tall and handsome with long legs, and even the years have added a little mature charm to him.After working in the society for a few years, he also has a different temperament from his student days.

Tang Yi politely asked the waiter beside him: "Do you have any chairs here? Help me add one." He pointed to Alex and said, "I want to sit here, next to this gentleman."

Old monitor: "Hey, you are finally here! Students, do you still remember Tang Yi!"

Everyone chattered: "Remember, remember! Captain of the track and field team! I helped other girls pass you love letters back then, do you remember?"

"I've been seeing you post pictures of your child in Moments, how old is he?"

"What brought you here? Haven't you been in Beijing all this time?"

Tang Yi: "I came to the Bay Area on a business trip, and I will stay here for three months. I want to meet everyone, so I asked the old squad leader to invite everyone out. Long time no see."

He sat down and put his hands on the back of Alex's chair naturally, just as close as ever.

As if that ugly breakup five years ago never happened.

Tang Yi still has the same personality as before. Even though he hasn't seen his classmates for many years, he can still get acquainted with everyone quickly, and immediately chat with the whole table. The atmosphere is very lively.

Only Alex sat there blankly, with a numb expression, and didn't answer the conversation from beginning to end.He glanced at Tang Yi's left hand. There was no ring on the ring finger, leaving a light ring mark, which was slightly lighter than the skin next to it.

The students were chatting vigorously, when Alex stood up and said, "You guys talk first, I'll go out to get some air."

The temperature dropped rapidly at night, without the heat of the day, even though it was already spring, when the night wind blows from the sea, it still carried a bit of biting chill.

Walking out of the restaurant, Alex took a deep breath of air, and the cool air flowed down his nose into his lungs, refreshing him.

After a while, Tang Yi also followed.

The crowded restaurant was left behind, and now in the vast night, only the two of them were left.

Tang Yi started half-jokingly: "You didn't run out to hide from me, did you?"

"You take yourself too seriously," Alex teased.

Tang Yi looked at Alex with a smile and said, "After all these years, you are still like this."

"What's it like?" Alex agreed casually.

Tang Yi: "It's still a high-ranking look, don't enter strangers, has a lot of worries, and doesn't speak the right way."

Alex: "Come on. Don't waste time studying others, you have time to worry about your own children."

Tang Yi was so stunned that he couldn't speak, and he was silent for a few seconds before he tentatively said: "You are still angry with me."

"Don't flatter yourself so much. It's been so long, even if there was anything between us, it was over five years ago." Alex added, "And I've never had a good memory, sometimes I can't even remember your name."

Tang Yi put his hands in his pockets and lowered his head: "I owe you."

"Forget it, no one owes anyone anything. Besides, is there any point in talking about it?" After speaking, Alex turned his head and wanted to leave.

Tang Yi stopped him: "Alex, I know you better than anyone else. No matter what you say, I know you still have me in your heart."

Alex turned his back to him: "Even if I really can't let go, so what? You are already someone else's husband, someone else's father."

Tang Yi seized the opportunity and quickly explained: "I'm divorced, and the child lives with my mother." He couldn't wait to prove his determination: "Alex, I came here this time to ask you, can you give me a chance? Let's start from scratch. came."

Alex turned around and laughed loudly: "Hahahaha, Tang Yi, you are so humorous. After all these years, you have not changed at all, and you are still so self-centered. Can you start from scratch if you want to? Everyone will be in the same place. Waiting for you to turn back without moving? It's been five years, five years, have you ever wondered how I got here? And I have a boyfriend now, and we are very happy. Please don't bother me again Life."

The rain started pattering down, and Alex left alone with an umbrella.

Alex clicked on the navigation in the car to enter the address, and found that Wang Yiding had sent countless text messages,

"Honey, I'm so bored at home alone! Come back early!"

"What did you eat today? Can you pack some delicious food for me?"

"Your Samoyed bullied me, come back quickly and make the decision for me. Woooooooooooooo..."

"I'm so sleepy, my wife is coming back soon, Yiding misses you."

"I checked the weather forecast, it said it will rain tonight, the road is slippery, please drive slowly."

Wang Yiding also sent a photo, which is a photo of him and Samoyed.Both the man and the dog are grinning, from the bottom up, you can see Wang Yiding's double chin and nostrils.

The shooting angle is amazing.

Alex laughed and whispered "this stupid straight guy" to himself.

Alex arrived home, opened the door, the house was pitch dark, he pressed the button of the desk lamp in the dark, and the foot of the sofa was illuminated by warm orange light.

Wang Yiding fell asleep on the sofa with his clothes on. He was awakened by the light, rubbed his eyes, and asked vaguely in the voice of just getting up: "Are you back?"

Alex also sat on the sofa and asked softly, "You've been waiting for me?"

Wang Yiding still hadn't woken up, so he closed his eyes and nodded.

Alex: "Don't sleep on the sofa, go to the bedroom."

He looked at Wang Yiding in front of him.This person usually looks silly, weird, and kind of cute.

The happiness he gave to Alex is indeed solid and warm.After living with him, Alex really realized why everyone always compares home to a harbor, a harbor where he can sleep peacefully and unscrupulously when he is physically and mentally exhausted.

But Tang Yi gave him the opposite feeling. In the years he was with Tang Yi, he seemed to be chasing forever, always chasing, and never seeing the end.

Alex is grateful for the short meeting with Tang Yi today.Things are different, Tang Yi is no longer the Tang Yi of the past, and he is no longer the Alex of the past.

He finally understood that the person he couldn't let go of and was still brooding over was just living in the past time and space.And that period of the past, like a specimen soaked in formalin, lay in a moldy box.