desolate

Zhou Ze felt that the night in Pingjiang had a smell.

Just like a bright red apple, its lines are clear and beautiful, and it looks mouth-watering, but when you take a bite, you find that the heart inside has already rotted accidentally.

Although you can smell it closely, the aroma of the apple is still sweet, but objectively, it cannot be denied that it is broken, so over time, you will feel that the sweetness should actually be rotten.

Pingjiang is such an apple.

Full of rotten aroma.

This was the third time he walked on the streets of this city at night, along the main road by the river, from the school to a fairly lively square.

There are buildings being demolished by the river, and the wooden frame is covered with a dark green net, and the sound of the machine running is even more obvious than the sound of the traffic.Not far from it, a building has been demolished into a wasteland full of rubble, and a lamp is lit directly above it, but it doesn't work, and the rubble is still crushing the black.

Scenes like this are common here.

Zhou Ze wondered boredly, if he looked down from mid-air at this time, wouldn't the city look like it had been torn apart hole after hole?

The music in the square was very loud, and there were a lot of people. The vendors surrounded the square along the curb. Zhou Ze listened to it from a distance and then avoided that direction.

The walk has been going on for about half an hour. Zhou Ze, relying on his memory, picked a way to continue walking around a KTV with red and green signs.

...

"My son is on the night shift today, you can go back when you're done."

Brother Hu, who smelled like gasoline, was squatting under the faucet in the corner to wash his hands. Pei Ye was standing beside him, biting a cigarette in his mouth. His two dirty hands kept stretching forward, waiting for Brother Hu to wash his hands. When he was done, he bent down and caught the gurgling water column with his hands.

Pei Ye straightened up and collected the old man's soot, and finally interrupted the process: "Tomorrow morning, there is a customer who wants to repair the bumper. I'm afraid I won't be able to do it."

Brother Hu walked into the shop while wiping his hands on his clothes: "Don't worry, I'll come over in the morning, so you can go to school properly."

Pei also followed him: "...I plan to drop out of school next month."

Another employee in the store was packing a toolbox, and there was a clang of metal wrenches and screwdrivers hitting each other.

Brother Hu looked back at him suspiciously.

"Don't study anymore?"

"Stop reading."

"Then what do you plan to do next?"

"Stay here for a year first, save some money, and then go out to work."

Brother Hu took his car keys from the counter at the door, and then went straight to Pei Ye. I don’t know whether it was admonishment or a reminder: “When you are young, it is better to read more books. I can't read it."

Pei also took the motorcycle key in his hand, and said, "Forget it, I'm not a student."

Brother Hu pulled the zipper of his jacket up to his neck, and patted him on the shoulder before walking: "You choose the road yourself, go on your own."

This man in his 30s also walked the same path when he was young, so that now he wants to persuade him, but he is not convincing at all.To put it bluntly, although I chose it myself, I had to choose it, but if there is a better choice, it will not be like this.

They all understand.

The last person in the shop also left, and while carrying his bag on his back, Pei Ye took a slender iron rod from behind the door, hooked down the rolling gate and locked it, and then lifted it up again to confirm that it was locked securely. Then he clapped his hands and left.

It was just dark, and it was time to be hungry.

Pei also looked around, and finally chose a pancake stand across the road with colorful lights.

"Two pancakes, with eggs and sausage, one without coriander and one with coriander, how much?"

"15 dollars."

After paying, he shrank his neck and waited.

A lot of pedestrians passed by one after another, some went out to play, some went home, Pei Ye leaned against the street lamp, and with a cursory glance, he could basically tell which ones were going to play and which ones were going home .

Seeing two or three waves of people passing by in a row, Pei couldn't help lowering his head and yawning, his eyes turned to another direction at the same time.

At the entrance of the barbershop stood a constantly rotating lantern. At this time, a group of people came out of the shop talking and laughing. Huang Mao, who was walking in the front, pressed a cigarette butt against the outer wall of the lantern.

"Haonan, go eat!"

"I'm not going, you go."

"Really not going?"

"..."

Pei Ye squinted and saw those people saying one thing to another, and then leaving in twos and threes, leaving Ju Haonan alone in the end, walking in another direction.

Just as he was about to go there, the vendor behind him called him.

"Hey, the cake is ready!"

"Oh, thanks."

"Be careful it's hot."

"okay."

When Pei Ye turned back with the pancakes again, Ju Haonan had disappeared, and there were only pedestrians coming and going on the street and the traffic lights that had just changed color.

Forget it, let's talk about it next time.

He took a bite of the pancake and walked towards the alley where the motorcycle was parked.

"Hey! Watch out as you walk!"

"Excuse me……"

Suddenly there was a sudden brake at the intersection ahead.

Pei also stepped on the motorcycle and looked over.

It turned out that a battery car almost hit someone.The middle-aged woman's combat power was extremely strong, and she scolded the boy who appeared suddenly so bloody that she had to bow her head and walk away without saying a word.

Pei Ye saw that the man's coat looked familiar...

Just as he was about to start the car, he stopped and stretched his neck to take a second look—the hem of the clothes has black and white gradient patterns, which seems to be the one that the transfer student lent him to wear last time.

But he remembered that the transfer student was living in a dormitory, and his family didn't live nearby, so why did he appear here?

This guy won't play truant again or something?

and many more……

Pei Ye took another look at Zhou Ze's direction, which was exactly the same as when Ju Haonan left.

According to Ju Haonan's habit, he would usually go to the Internet cafe to play games for two hours at this point, or go to the billiards room upstairs of the Internet cafe. Anyway, these two places are in a residential building.

Pei also sat on the motorcycle for two seconds, and then re-inserted the key - he only walked one way, if he saw it, he would help again; if he didn't see it, he would pretend that he didn't know anything.

Right now, the two of them don't know where they are. Pei Ye rode his bicycle and drove straight along the road. Every time he passed a small alley, he would glance at it from the corner of his eye. When he found no one inside, he would involuntarily relax. tone.

Just when Pei Ye thought he would not see them, the door of the convenience store on the left opened automatically, and Zhou Ze walked out from inside.

Are you thinking too much?

Pei also pulled over the car and turned to look at Zhou Ze's back.

Maybe people are just passing by.

That's right, a good student like this should be unable to hide from the little hooligans outside, so why would he come to him without knowing what to do?

Pei also scolded himself for being nosy in his heart, and planned to leave quickly.

Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of Ju Haonan appearing out of nowhere in the rearview mirror.

He turned his head quickly, and saw Zhou Ze and Ju Haonan from a distance, one on the side of the road and the other on the opposite side, Zhou Ze was a little behind Ju Haonan, and when the other party stopped, he also stopped.

After taking two steps, Ju Haonan got into an alley, and within three seconds, Zhou Ze also crossed the road and followed him.

There is a big green trash bin at the entrance of that alley, and there is always a long-lasting sour smell nearby, and almost all passers-by avoid it. The nearest road to the residential building of the billiard room.

Pei also touched the still warm pancake, put it into the side box of the motorcycle, and wrapped it in his coat.

Or take a look in the past.

He parked the car and trotted over.

The road in the alley is a dirt road, it is true that it is difficult to walk, and there are twists and turns inside. If they enter other branch roads, it will be even more difficult to find.

Pei didn't intend to spend too much time, so he didn't go too far, but just listened to the movement with his ears up.

Fortunately, there is no noise around, and most of the sounds can be heard one or two.

boom--

At this time, the sound of a glass bottle smashing suddenly sounded from a place separated by a wall.

Pei was also startled by the voice.

Not only because of the suddenness, but also because the sound was too clear - from the location, it should be on the other side of the wall next to it.

The red brick wall was not too high, so he took two steps back to run up and climbed up it easily.

On this side of the wall, there should be a small open space where nearby residents piled up sundries, and the instigator of the sound——Zhou Ze, stood there quietly and intact.

To be precise, he was standing beside Ju Haonan.

He was already lying unconscious on the ground, and the murder weapon was still in Zhou Ze's hands.

A green beer bottle with a third left.

Here Zhou Ze is touching the bracelet in Ju Haonan's hand, but he has not noticed Pei Ye who is watching from the sidelines.After taking back the bracelet, I wiped it casually with a paper towel and took it to my own hand.

Since it was from top to bottom, Pei could hardly see the expression on Zhou Ze's face clearly.But he felt that [-]% of them were still the little Bodhisattva who wanted to smile.

Zhou Ze took his own things, smashed the last bit of the murder weapon, and prepared to leave.

But as soon as he turned his head, Pei Ye, who was crouching on the wall, was inevitably discovered immediately.

"..."

Zhou Zewei raised his head, not knowing how to respond.

"What did you do?" Pei also pointed to the people on the ground.

"It's okay, I'll wake up in a while." Zhou Ze said in a moderate voice.

"You..." Looking at the situation in front of him, Pei Ye didn't know what to say, so he jumped off the wall.

"You didn't see anything." Zhou Ze walked up to him and said very seriously.

The residential building not far away started to cook dinner, and the old-fashioned range hood rolled out thin cigarettes, and the smell of the food was also tantalizing.

A long time ago, the sky had already changed from black to blue ink, and the new street lamps outside were bright, but could not shine in; Does not light up the palm-sized ground under the foot.

But, talk is better than nothing.

Pei Ye looked at Zhou Ze, who was wrapped in the faint light, and said, "So what if I see it?"

Zhou Ze turned around and walked towards the entrance of the alley, and then the voice came: "It's not very good, you will see it when you see it."

"...open my head like just now?"

"probably not."

"should?"

Seeing that Pei followed, Zhou Ze gradually slowed down.

To be honest, for a moment, he really wanted to escape.

"It means no one can say for sure."

"You... you're pretty crazy."

"After all, you took me away from the scene of the crime, and you are an accomplice."

Although Pei Ye was walking side by side with him, his eyes were always staring at other directions aimlessly. Sometimes it was a tube building, and sometimes it was a billboard. Hearing his words, he paused.

"Did you have meal."

Before walking out of the alley, Zhou Ze asked suddenly.

"not yet."

"How about eating together? I can't find a good restaurant..."

"..."

Pei Ye finally looked straight at him, and the busy street was close at hand.

nodded.

The author says:

Zhou Ze’s nickname: mace in sheep’s clothing, beer bottle opener, master of delicacy