The third year of divergence

It was already late at night when all the premieres were over.

Called back to the company by an urgent call, Ji Heyi sat in the office, guessing that it was time for the celebration banquet, and apologized to Chi Cong on WeChat for his absence.

Chi Cong on the phone immediately replied: "So busy, are you free this week? I still want to get together again before going abroad."

Ji Heyi had heard about his long vacation plan: "When will you leave?"

"this Saturday."

earlier than expected.Ji Heyi tapped on the computer, and at the same time asked on the phone about his father and the two elders of the Chi family having a dinner date on the weekend.

Chi Cong replied with a question mark, and called directly: "What's the matter? My parents didn't mention it to me." I also wanted my parents to be clear about the matter of Ji Heyi and Chi Yan, although they had to arrange He also told Chi Yan first, but as a member of the family who will definitely be present at the dinner, there is no reason why this kind of thing would be forgotten.

Some doubts: "I didn't just give it to Chi Yanxin, but that little bastard is so tall and vast, so he forgot to tell me about it." His voice became tense, "When did your dad contact my parents? If you Two minutes ago, if he found out about this, he turned around and dumped people, and didn't say anything to us when it was over, that little beast is worse than a beast."

It should be before the breakup.But no matter whether Chi Yan knew nothing or didn't mention it, it's meaningless now. Ji Heyi only cares about calming down the weekend appointment: "Can you contact your parents?"

"Xuan, when the two of them are in the world, let alone the cell phone that has been turned off all the time, you will not even pay attention to it when you fly past."

Hearing this, Ji Heyi slowed down his typing on the keyboard: "How long have your parents been abroad?"

"It's been two months. If I remember correctly, the plane back is right here—uh..." Chi Cong said hesitantly, "No, how did your dad contact them? My dad and I don't know business line?"

Ji Heyi didn't speak, and looked at his watch, it was long past his parents' bedtime.

As the protagonist of the celebration banquet, Chi Cong couldn't keep holding his mobile phone on the balcony, and quickly said: "Leave this matter alone, and when I can contact my parents, I will talk to them immediately and let them Go worry about the mess left by your youngest son. If you have a headache, you won’t be merciful when you clean up the banquet.” Finally, after a pause, he said, “As for your parents, you can just be vague and don’t say a word. To tell you the truth, I have a psychological shadow of the family atmosphere that coming out of the closet will bring. You always remember the situation when I ran to your house every day when Chi Yan was involved in this matter. Everyone breathes a sigh of relief, let alone me, you haven't had good looks from your parents for a long time, right?"

Ji Heyi hummed: "Don't worry, they are all people who only look at the result and not the process." Now that the happy result is in front of them, they probably didn't bother to listen to him when he took the initiative to say it.

After hanging up the phone, it was another early morning when the matter was resolved.

I wanted to go straight to the company lounge to sleep overnight, but I drove home thinking of the two fish that hadn't been fed at home.

Seeing that summer is about to enter, the temperature difference between day and night still often makes people regret going out in single clothes at night, so Ji Heyi put on the usual coat in the car before leaving the garage.

It was pitch black after getting out of the elevator, and the voice-activated light at the door of the house was changed every year. The maintenance was approaching, and the light did not respond to his footsteps.

Just as I raised my hand to knock on the wall, the sound of "cracking" a fire came from the darkness, the flickering fire light fell, and the sound of metal hitting the ground suddenly resounded in the silent corridor.

The lights brightened for a moment, and Ji Heyi stopped in the corridor.

The person at the door picked up the dropped objects and straightened up.

He was only wearing a thin shirt, and perhaps he had stood for so long in the pervasive chill of the night that his movements of picking things up, the look on his cold white face, and the eyes he looked at were all dull.

Seeing the lighter that this unexpected visitor was holding in his hand, Ji Heyi didn't know whether to thank him for not leaving a lot of cigarette butts at the door of his house.

How many times is this?As he walked over, he couldn't help but think back to the short month of the breakup. As the two exes of each other, it makes people feel out of control and the number of inexplicable intersections.

The complicated and difficult official business just three hours ago didn't make him frown, but in the silence of these few steps, there was a familiar dull pain in his temple.

In terms of emotion and reason, he seems to be asking "what are you doing here?".But in the middle of the night, exhaustion and sleepiness occupied all his thoughts, he was not sure that he could control the tone of this sentence, he might be indifferent to the point of retreating when he spoke.

So he just stopped at the anti-theft door and took out the key.

"Ji Heyi." The person beside him suddenly said.

His eyes followed the turning doorknob, "...you changed the lock."

This is not a questioning or accusing tone, nor is the speaker in a position to question or accuse.

The door opened, and Ji Heyi gave him a look.

The scene at the door of the house is as familiar to the two as more than 1000 days and nights in three years. The lighting is almost warm, but the owner holding the doorknob must not know what kind of eyes he has.

The person who was touched by his eyes suddenly trembled, and the numbness finally woke up, barely touching the coldness of the night.

What kind of look is that?Without thinking hard, countless pictures follow the vine.It is the fleeting glance that occasionally fell from the shadows of the dying trees, hurriedly walking on the road, and beyond several figures when I was young. Those eyes have no intention, are calm and scattered, and are captured by the long-term gaze from the other end, but they will disappear in a blink of an eye. .

Chi Yan reached out subconsciously, grabbed the wrist on the doorknob, and opened his mouth: Don't...

But no sound came out.

The temperature under his palm was warm and subdued, and he used some strength to speak out again: "...Ji Heyi." The hoarseness made the person who was called hardly hear his name clearly.

Looking down at the white and tense fingers on his wrist, Ji Heyi didn't try to break free, and waited for a moment, failing to wait for his follow-up.

During a period of silence, Ji Heyi's thoughts wandered to many irrelevant places, such as his disturbing drunkenness and unreasonable drunken talk a few days ago, and his golden retriever's bad habit of stabbing people with dirty claws, such as that All sorts of hilarious pranks on the twins.

Withdrawing his mind, the strength on his wrist did not loosen a little, Ji Heyi realized that he had to show a little patience again.

"Chi Yan." As soon as he uttered the sound, he felt another tightness on his wrist, but the pain was not as refreshing as the cold wind in the corridor. He continued calmly, "You may also know that I don't like to worry about small troubles. For those who are bothered, there are some troubles that are harmless in themselves, and there are some troubles. Compared with repeated accusations, tolerance and forgiveness are usually the most caring way to deal with yourself. Just like I will not reprimand bad habits of pets or children’s pranks , a lot of times—before we became a couple, and this month after we broke up, I didn't intend to spend more time talking about your behavior that bothered me."

He looked a little dispirited, but he still tried to make up for the slightly harsh words with a gentle tone, and his voice softened: "But Chi Yan, pets and children, they don't have the ability to be responsible for their words and deeds, and they all have things that don't need to be sensible. Privilege—what about you?"

"Between two people who only have an ex-relationship, I think it's an unspoken principle not to cause trouble for each other—apart from our now worthless relationship, as an adult, you should have already had something for yourself The ability to explain why and take responsibility for what you do." He asked slowly, "What are you doing now? What are you going to say?"

The strength on the wrist finally loosened slowly following his words, Ji He Yijing waited for his fingers to leave, thinking that this late-night greeting was finally over.After a while, I saw the hand that hadn't been completely loosened tremble, and heard the man speak in a hoarse voice.

"...I want to ask you."

He said with difficulty, "Ji Heyi, I still want to ask you."

Ji Heyi turned to look at him, giving him the last patience: "What do you want to ask?"

What do you want to ask?

The person in front of him quietly waited for his words, his eyes were vaguely focused, giving people the illusion that any response he wanted was within easy reach.

Many words were stuck in his throat, but timidity and fear skillfully buried them deep. He thought of the few people close to him—family members, some of the words they used to use to him when they were frustrated or helpless: bold, unscrupulous... There is no moment like now In this way, I hope that their praise is beyond doubt.

What do you want to ask?Chi Yan looked at him.

... I want to ask why Bai, who you told Chi Cong about, will appear in the movie five years later.I want to ask if it is possible, that night in the snow mountain was just a dream of his.

I would like to ask if you have a momentary impression of your friend's brother in your longer memory, during those times when you would lean forward and back when you laughed, and talk to your friend when you were annoyed.

I would like to ask if three years have passed, even if you have no nostalgia when you leave, but you are fine at a certain moment—a moment, will you feel a little bit reluctant.

Or he didn't want to ask anything.

I just want to ask, if there is no problem in three years, then can I... five years, ten years... 20 years, 30 years... and try a little more time with him.

He is like a person trembling on a ropeway over a cliff, seeing that the road ahead is cut off, turn back in time, and tear the iron rope off with his own hands.But I went back, got far away, and took another look at the other side that I was dreaming of——

... There will be no more embarrassing situation, he just wants to jump down now.

"No... no empathy, no one else. Many years... a long time ago, every day-I want to ask you..."

Ji Heyi saw that he no longer looked directly into his eyes, and grabbed his hand again, with such strength that it was as if he was supporting his whole body weight, as if the words in his stomach overwhelmed him.

He has listened to many of his questions and answered many of his questions. He heard him say that he loves him, and once stopped, and heard him say that he does not love him, so he gave him an understanding.In many cases, words are the most solemn way of expression, which should be more effective than body, eyes and even kisses.

But at this moment, he looked at those eyes that were proficient in escaping, and heard a disconcerted gasp replace intermittent words... suddenly remembered the bad habit of lying.

Ji Heyi stretched out his hand, slowly stroked the tense chin of the man who bowed his head, and lifted his face up.

Repeated: "What do you want to ask?"