salt by salt

After a week like this, a layer of scab formed on the wound on the palm of his left hand. Occasionally, he wanted to clench his fist hard to calm the itching deep in the flesh and blood, which was probably a symbol of slow healing under the scab.

On working days, my left hand is always on the table. Facing inquiries from everyone in the company, I said that I broke the cup and was accidentally cut when picking up the pieces.

Andre was sitting on a chair in front of the office window looking through recent plans.After hearing my explanation, he didn't say any words of concern. He just sat far away, like a cat shining in the sun.

I don't know if he understands the inside story. After Hu Ru and the others go back to work, I'm still a little embarrassed, afraid that he will ask about Song Cheng.But Andre didn't say anything, just took my hand, and gently pressed the gauze-wrapped palm to his cheek.

The sun fell on his lowered eyelashes, his face was beautiful, his expression depended, and the dazzling golden color showed an angelic holy meaning.

My breathing stopped for half a beat.

"I have things to do during this time." He looked up at me with an innocent expression, letting him act coquettishly without any bottom line, "Brother, can you see the guy named Song?"

I hesitated for a moment: "This...is not something I can decide."

"Then you don't take the initiative to find him, okay? Just this matter, can you promise me, brother?"

I groaned, knowing that he did it on purpose, but still couldn't bear to refuse the pleading look on that pretty face.After thinking about how few times I took the initiative to contact Song Cheng recently, I agreed, "Okay. Andre, what are you going to do?"

But he didn't answer, and leaned forward to ask for a kiss, leaving a soft touch on his pale rose-colored lips.

"elder brother……"

With a sound like a sigh, white and slender fingers caressed the side of my face.He and I looked at each other, as if we were about to sink into the blue icy lake, into the biting current.

I was caught off guard and hugged into a hug. Andre hugged me very hard, burying his cheek in my neck, so tight that I couldn't breathe.Before he could complain, I suddenly noticed his body trembling slightly in discomfort.

What's wrong?Having trouble?I wanted to ask him, but knew he would never tell me.

He often comes to visit me in the company, inspecting the territory like a vigilant animal.But if he was really so nervous, why did he move out of the apartment without saying hello?Obviously, I only got my consent not long ago, and at that time she acted like a baby and expressed that she would live with me for a long time.

No matter what Andre was up to, I couldn't help but want to be nice to him when he was pitifully vulnerable around me.

Because he is my younger brother, I always remember to be patient.I raised my hand and patted him to comfort him, feeling the curvature of his back through the thin shirt.

He is still young, but most of the time he is much more reliable than my brother, which makes me quite ashamed.

"Although I don't know exactly what you are planning, it probably has something to do with the Xu family. I know you want to help me, but don't push yourself too hard. Even if there is no Xu family, my brother can support you."

"... Brother, do you love me?"

I looked directly into Andre's eyes, trying to judge his attitude. This is the only possible flaw in his increasingly sophisticated acting skills-the eyes will reveal the truest side inadvertently.

The blue icy lake refracted fine light, staring at me intently, nothing else.

I froze for a moment and replied, "Of course."

Andre was silent for a moment, and rubbed my shoulder before letting go of his hand. This is a childish action, but he did it without affectation.

He straightened his clothes, the aggrieved redness at the end of his eyes hadn't dissipated yet, and he still looked a little delicate.But the advantage lies in the good ratio of height and leg length. After getting up, the lower jaw is slightly lifted, and the usual indifferent aura that strangers are not close to is restored.

"Brother, I have something to do later, it's so hard, why don't you kiss me?" He made another excuse to beg for a kiss, and reminded me, "Don't forget you promised me..."

It happened that Tang Mo was knocking on the door lightly, and Andre stopped, waiting for me to express my opinion unhappily.I said resignedly, "I will do what I say, okay?"

He left satisfied, and suddenly let out a low disdainful snort when he passed by Tang Mo. I heard it clearly and saw Tang Mo's face froze.When Andre's figure disappeared behind the door, I said helplessly, "Don't mind, he's used to being willful."

Tang Mo shook her head, took out the neatly classified materials and put them in front of me, and said, "Boss, you really can't pamper him too much."

"You guys have been together for a while, and you know that he's actually very smart, and he's too lazy to do a lot of things." I smiled, and reached out to grab the documents on the table, "Look at this..."

The originally bound plan was torn apart, the cover page was torn in half, and folded into a paper airplane hanging on the edge.I flipped through it roughly, and circled many places with a marker pen, which are probably where Andre expressed doubts.

Facing such a masterpiece, I was silent for a few seconds when I saw how he was sitting on my seat flipping through the documents just now.

In the end, Tang Mo broke through the embarrassment, stood up and said, "I'll get someone to print another copy."

I nodded and rubbed the space between my eyebrows. I was a little inexplicable about Andre's mood today, and the plan that he had reviewed in my hand was even more dumbfounding.I wanted to throw it away, but after thinking about it, I decided to look it up, in case there is something to refer to his suggestion?

The paper airplane was still wobbly, which was really unsightly.I reached out and tore it off, and lightly threw it into the trash can.

It drew a crooked trajectory in the air, and fell into it silently.

I listened to Andre's request, but I haven't contacted Song Cheng for the past few days.

In fact, thinking about the fact that someone scratched myself for me, I felt very sorry, but Naihe had already agreed to Andre's unreasonable request, so I could only secretly rejoice that Song Cheng never cared about these things.

When I drove to and from get off work, the road was unimpeded. The next few exhibitions have entered the steady preparation stage, and today's work is quite leisurely.The gorgeous sunset glow in the sky reflected the scenery of the city, and the songs played on the radio also suited my taste, and I felt an almost strange touch.

Like a stone thrown into the water, ripples...

No, it was more like a crack in the thick barrier around me, allowing me to feel the wind from the outside world.

It wasn't until the car parked in the opposite parking space in the garage came down and the smiling family of three saw the child holding the parent's hand and talking happily, that I suddenly woke up.

This kind of emotion that overflows the chest without adding burden, I think it should be called happiness.

In fact, it’s not that I haven’t noticed the changes in myself, such as extremely low libido and severe insomnia. If I didn’t rely on tea and coffee to refresh my mind, I would often be in a trance in the company, and I was called out several times to recover.

The combined sleep time of the last three days has not been six hours.

On the surface, everything seems to be normal, but I know that I am just a walking dead, mechanically moving forward according to the track, until the day when the battery is exhausted.

I ordered a meal at a nearby restaurant. I sat at the table and ate a few mouthfuls. Maybe I was tired of the taste, or maybe I couldn’t get enough energy to eat alone.

But today I am in a good mood, I think I should eat a few more mouthfuls, lest Hu Ru make a fuss all day thinking that I have hypoglycemia.

The phone rang suddenly, it was an unfamiliar number, I stopped my chopsticks to answer the call: "Hello?"

"Toshihiko."

At the same time that female voice appeared in my ear, I trembled uncontrollably.

Empty feelings poured into the hollow of his chest, like a filled balloon, which was completely deflated after being stabbed by the sound.

"Mom." I tried to raise my voice, "What's wrong?"

"I'm back in China. I haven't booked a hotel yet. I want to stay with you for one night. Is it convenient for you?"

She spoke softly, but her tone was very firm, not a question, but an order.At the beginning, I was caught off guard by a phone call, telling me that Andre was going back to China, and asked me to take care of him.

Although she hasn't asked me a single question for so many years, I can't refuse her request.What's more, she gave me a sum of money when I was eager to move out of the Xu family, so that I could buy the current house.

I immediately got up and asked, "Are you at the airport? I'll pick you up."

She said the location, and I was a little puzzled why she asked me, who was not close, to pick me up.Just as she was thinking about it, she heard a chuckle on the other end of the phone: "Don't tell Andre, I only notified you, Junyan."

I responded, took the key and hurried out.

When I entered the airport lobby, I felt a bit belatedly dazed when facing the crowd.

Although Andre would tell me about her, I never asked to see a photo of their mother and child, and I didn't want to see that heart-piercing scene.The photos I saw in Xu’s main house were also a long time ago. In the past, I was keen to compare the looks of my mother and I, hoping to find something in common.

I don't know if it's because my memory is declining now. When I need to find someone, her bathing becomes blurred in my mind.

It's kind of funny... The son doesn't remember what his mother looks like.

"Toshihiko, here."

I turned around and immediately put on an expression of surprise, seeing a woman standing not far away and nodding to me, and quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

The process of approaching her was like pushing away layers of clouds, and the mother's appearance gradually became clear.

Beautiful eyebrows, elegant temperament, well-maintained skin and figure, with a reserved smile on his lips.The housekeeper I had seen next to Andre stood respectfully behind the mistress, carrying her luggage and light coat for her.

This is the first time I have met her since I grew up. It should be a proud thing to be born the son of this typical oriental beauty.

I tried my best to ignore the disappointment in my heart, and smiled at her: "Mom."

She was undoubtedly a lady, but not the mother I had in mind.

Although the smile is gentle, I can feel the alienation in it, and I can't help but feel a pain in my heart - she must not smile so politely and politely in front of Andre.

On the way back, I changed to the butler to drive, and I sat with my mother.

"Toshihiko, tell me about the situation at home."

It was the only sentence she said the whole time.

The butler is a man of few words, and the atmosphere embarrassed me.Fortunately, my mother hasn't returned to China for too long, and the current situation of the Xu family is indeed enough to talk about the journey.

When talking about my uncle's condition, I paid attention to her reaction and found that her expression was very calm.

As far as I know, my uncle loves this little girl the most, so he never gave me a good face when I was in the Xu family; however, seeing my mother's reaction, and thinking that she didn't even return to China to visit my uncle when he had the operation, this "close relationship" evaluation There seems to be some moisture.

She always looked at me sideways, her eyes were kind, but I couldn't ignore the elements of exploration and examination.It's like giving a report in front of a teacher who can't understand emotions, and I hope to make a good impression, so it's very difficult.

When I finally entered the complex, I breathed a sigh of relief, and carried my mother's luggage into the elevator.Hearing turning around, she said to the housekeeper lightly: "Go and look at Andre, I don't need you here."

Looking at Andre?

Her articulation was too soft, which made this sentence sound more like—to spy on Andre.

I took her in suspiciously, and found that my half-eaten dinner was still on the table, and I immediately felt embarrassed.

Originally, I wanted to behave better in front of her no matter what, but I didn’t expect to forget this little thing: "The house is a bit messy. Mom, the guest room is on the left. You must be very tired. Go and rest for a while, and I will tidy up right away... No, Let me pour you a glass of water first, what does mom like to drink?"

She stroked the broken hair in front of her forehead with her fair fingers, and sat down on the sofa with a gentle posture: "It's okay, Junyan, don't be too busy. Actually, I want to ask you something when I return home this time."

I seem to go back to the time when I was eight years old.

Lying behind the stairs, looking longingly at the beautiful woman and her perfect family, I hope she will cast a glance at me, and remember that she also has an eldest son who is dependent on others.She did see me, but she said, why is this child so ugly?

She also timidly hides and does some unflattering things.

With an ominous premonition in her heart, the noble woman raised her head.With a smile on her face, she looked at me, a child who never satisfied her:

"What's going on with you and Andre?"