Deer in the forest

Li Jibai's face was ashen, and he squeezed the teacup hard. Lin Shen had no doubt that if he put more force, the teacup would shatter.

But before that, Li Jibai let go of his hand.

The teacup didn't shatter as expected, and Li Jibai didn't react strongly as expected, neither went crazy, violent, or even questioned.

He just seemed to accept the fact that his lover had left completely all of a sudden, and understood the pain of being sentenced to "stop here" by the person he loved so much.

"Ah Shen," he called softly, feeling like he was about to shed tears in the next second, but in fact, his eyes were already red.

"Although I know it's useless, I still want to say sorry for making you suffer so much. I deserve it. I don't deserve such a good lover."

"Okay," Li Jibai said in a hoarse voice, every word seemed to be rolled on the edge of a knife, and his tongue was scratched so painfully.

"We'll stop here."

He knew that Lin Shen didn't need an apology at all. What he needed was time, enough time for a long healing process, after mending all the holes in his body, maybe he still had the ability to accept and love others again.

He can wait until the day when Lin Shen is completely intact, until the day when he can start again.

For a long time, he would follow Lin Shen closely, and whenever Lin Shen turned his head, he would always be there.

But now, they need to reach a unity, give the past, and give each other a dignified farewell.

After surviving the cold winter, it will be ten miles of spring breeze.

Lin Shen ushered in the start of school in the dull and busy daily life.He lived too far away from the school. As early as a month before the start of school, he rented a new apartment. It was opposite the school, only 10 minutes' walk away, and it was also very close to Lu Qingchen's house.

The environment of the new apartment is very good, the layout is similar to the previous house, and Lu Qingchen rented it for him.The landlord has never met, and he has settled abroad, and rented it to Lin Shen at a very suitable price in the university area where every inch of land is expensive.There are more and more such small fortunes in life. A suitable apartment, greetings from friends, and warm sunshine on weekends all make people more and more relaxed.

The mobile phone on the coffee table vibrated twice. Lin Shen picked it up casually and clicked on it. It was still the familiar number: I’m going to have dinner with Qihang’s shareholders tonight. The one we met last time at the Eye of the Sky will end in about two hours. .

Lin Shen only glanced at it, then dropped the phone and continued to pack materials for tomorrow's class.

Simply eat dinner, read a book, take a shower and get ready for bed.The phone rang again, the same number: finished eating, home.The people who set sail were too drunk, and they insisted on a second show. I didn't want to go, so they said they would bring you too.They still didn't believe me when I said you went to study abroad and were not at home, so they insisted on asking me to call you face to face.If I don't fight, they say I'm afraid of guilt.

The message was followed by a crying emoji.

Then there is another one: I want to take you with me too, I want everyone to know that I am afraid of guilt.Ah Shen, I miss you so much.

Lin Shen looked at the long information page on the phone, and unconsciously began to scroll up. The information all came from the same number, and the words he said were all casual thoughts such as greetings for three meals a day and itinerary reports.

For example: I'm going to Nancheng tomorrow, and I have an event to attend, and it's all Li Zhu who caused me trouble.I must sell my hope.

Another example: I was having dinner at UH today, and Boss Zhu gave me a handsome man, saying that he looked a bit like you.What kind of stand-in are you playing, get out as soon as possible, I will never play with Boss Zhu again.

Also: today I ran into an acquaintance of yours at Lao Meng's dinner.

Immediately below, there is another article, with a little emotion between the words: that person said that he almost followed you before.Lao Meng said that this is his lover, who once fell in love with you at first sight, and Lao Meng planned to give him to you at that time, but you ignored him.Just ignore him, he looks so ugly!

Turning up and down, it’s all chatter:

Have you got a meal yet?I just finished eating, and a restaurant opened nearby. The tom yam soup is delicious. I will take you to try it when you come back.

I'm going to visit the factory in Laoding tomorrow. I have to go to bed early tonight, otherwise I won't be able to get up tomorrow.Lao Ding's nose to me is not nose or eye, I think he wants to go to heaven.When you come back and teach him a lesson, I can't control him now.

I went to see my grandma today. She is in good spirits and misses you very much.I said you are in class, and you can see her when you come back from vacation.The old man was very happy.

Cool down tomorrow, wear more.

It will rain tomorrow, remember to bring an umbrella.

……

There are many such messages, and without exception, Li Jibai is talking about them, and Lin Shen has never replied.Since the last "official farewell" between the two, Li Jibai has been sending messages like this every day, from eating and drinking to making business decisions, from weather changes to good morning, noon and night, and it never stops.

At first he could bear not to read it, but once he read one, he couldn't help scrolling up one by one, and when he woke up, he had already read hundreds of messages.

Later, he stopped suppressing it deliberately and watched it whenever he wanted, but he still didn't reply.

In the past few months, Li Jibai has been running on both sides. Before leaving, he will send him a message, saying that he has gone back and has something to deal with.When I come back, I will send a message saying that I am back, and I will stay for a few days this time.

Hongbai and Wanghe are busy with affairs, and Li Jibai spends most of his time away from Country M, but even when he comes, he never bothers Lin Shen.

Occasionally, Lin Shen found Li Jibai smoking a cigarette downstairs, the fire was extinguished, and he could not see his face clearly. When he looked up upstairs, Lin Shen took a step back in fright, not sure if he saw it.

He comes, smokes a few cigarettes upstairs for a few hours, and sometimes has to fly back to work the next day.Lin Shen knew all this.

Every time Li Jibai came over, Lin Shen also knew about it.There was very little movement downstairs, but he just knew that Li Jibai was coming.Of course, he will also receive a message on his mobile phone such as "I'm back".

Sometimes Lin Shen could hear a knock on the door, and when he opened the door, there was a pile of food and supplies at the door, but no one was there.

Normally, Lin Shen would accept it.Because Li Jibai has a good grasp of the speed, does not interfere too much, does not show up, does not disturb, and even sends things with a moderate frequency.

All of the above are not the "Li Jibai" that Lin Shen knows, they are not "Li Jibai".

The words are childish and the language is ridiculous. This "Li Jibai" seems to be a silly white boy who is new to love. He expresses his love clumsily and innocently.

But the silly white boy hides his thoughts day after day, for example, behind each message, he expresses his thoughts openly and secretly, expressly and implicitly "waiting for you to come back", and informs the relatives and friends Lin Shen cares about in a disguised form.

There is a sentence hidden behind every message: As long as you look back, I will be there.

Lin Shen hesitated before moving.

He didn't want to admit where this hesitation came from, so after scolding himself, he quickly found a suitable house to pack his luggage, and the whole process took less than a day.

As if I was afraid that I would regret it.

A few days later, Li Jibai sent a message: Have you moved?I asked my brother and said that you moved near the school.It's okay to move, your previous apartment is too far away, and the security is not very good.

Lin Shen didn't return as usual, but he was inexplicably relieved.

He knows that he has moved... so he won't run away!Maybe he gave up, he was too tired from running around, last time he saw him smoking downstairs, he lost a lot of weight.

Unexpectedly, a few days later, there was movement from the apartment downstairs that had been vacant for a long time.Sure enough, Lin Shen received another message: Hi, I am your new neighbor downstairs.

After a while, another one came: Don't be nervous, I won't bother you, it's still the same as before, just pretend that I don't exist.I just miss you so much, I know you are upstairs and I can hear you, that's all.

I am afraid that I will be regarded as a stalker.

Lin Shen couldn't tell what was going on in his heart, anyway, Li Jibai wanted to know his whereabouts easily, so he could do whatever he wanted.

On weekends, when Lin Shen went out to do some shopping, he asked Lu Qingchen to eat hot pot at home in the evening.Whenever Shen Junhuai was on a business trip, Lin Shen would be invited by Lu Qingchen to his home to spend the "two-person world".

"Every time Senior Brother Shen is on a business trip, you call me here. It's like having an affair. I don't dare to see Senior Brother Shen now." The last time Shen Junhuai had a roundtable discussion at their school, he specially sent an invitation letter to Lin Shen. Did not go.

Lu Qingchen was wearing round-frame glasses, and was earnestly picking a beef ball from the pot. Hearing this, he hummed and laughed twice: "It's not just the reason why you dare not see Tyrannosaurus rex!"

Lin Shen was punctured, so he had to keep his mouth shut and concentrate on eating.Every time he sees Li Jibai's shadow in Shen Junhuai, the situation has become more and more serious recently.

"Has he been here recently?" Lu Qingchen asked.

The two of them knew who they were asking.

Lin Shen's hand holding the chopsticks stuck for a moment, then shook his head.Li Jibai hadn't been here for about a month, and there was no movement downstairs.He should be very busy, Hongbai has several projects that he needs to keep an eye on, and travels back and forth across the world, which can also be glimpsed from his daily messages.

He also thought of the last time he saw Li Jibai, the man might have just rushed over, the suitcase was thrown by the side of the road, and he was leaning against a lamppost downstairs to smoke.

Lin Shen stood on the window sill on the third floor, looking down through a layer of gauze curtains, Li Jibai was hanging his head down, smoking a cigarette, his hair was a little messed up by the wind.He held his mobile phone in his hand and seemed to be typing.

Lin Shen soon received a message: Are you asleep?

Another post: I'm going to South Africa, stop by, drop by to see you.Three hours later the plane.I'm going to stay there for ten days.

Ten minutes later, Li Jibai put out the cigarette and sent another message: Good night.

Lin Shen squeezed the phone, watching Li Jibai leaning against the light pole, and then slowly sat down on the marble base, and hid behind the curtain the moment he raised his head.

Li Jibai only saw the lit windows and the slightly moving curtains.

Drop in?Going to South Africa is considered a drop in the road, if you don't count the extra 4 hours of flying.Lin Shen thought to himself, Li Jibai has always been a master of speech, best at disturbing people's hearts.

look at you?How can it be regarded as watching, staying downstairs for more than three hours and only seeing the lights and curtains, so affectionate and so appropriate, it is a complete play of pity.

But even if he understood this, the discomfort was still vaguely stuck in his chest, and he couldn't vomit it out.As a result, that night Lin Shen waited until Li Jibai left before falling asleep.

"I didn't expect him to last for so long. It's beyond my expectation." Lu Qingchen bit his chopsticks, his eyes clear, "Some things are left to hard work, some things are left to time, and then let nature take its course."

Then he snorted again: "But a scumbag is also a scumbag in the end, you have to think about it carefully."