【Zhou Xiang】The Tropic

1.

After Zhou Zekai calmed down a bit, at least his back was less tense, Sun Xiang realized after a while that it was really awkward for two big men to hug each other like this.

He hurriedly let go and straightened up: "Okay, okay!"

Zhou Zekai embraced nothing, looked up at Sun Xiang, with a little bit of teasing in his eyes, and a lot of lightness: "Nosteptwo?"

The corners of Sun Xiang's brows twitched, he said silently three times, don't be as knowledgeable as kids in regular script, he paused word by word: "No."

It's a pity that his cold-faced acting skills are only good enough for five seconds.

Five seconds later, Sun Xiang couldn't help laughing first, and stretched out his hand to grab Zhou Zekai: "Get up!"

"Huh?" Zhou Zekai kept his body calm on purpose, trying to stay on the seat.

Sun Xiang was speechless, and increased his strength: "Go, don't stay at home, Brother Xiang will take you to breathe!"

As soon as the words were finished, Zhou Zekai quickly stood up without him needing to make another move.

2.

This time Sun Xiang drove the car, and the one who enjoyed it was naturally replaced by Zhou Zekai.Along the way, he propped his head up, looking at the scenery leisurely - although Sun Xiang couldn't figure out the rainstorm weather, the streets were full of bare tree trunks and pedestrians wrapped in balls, what was there to see.

Sun Xiang originally thought that Zhou Zekai would be curious about the destination sooner or later, but seeing that he was about to arrive, this friend still had the appearance of "don't care or care".Sun Xiang couldn't help feeling a little depressed.

"Aren't you curious? Don't you worry that I'll sell you?" Sun Xiang couldn't help throwing a ball.

"No." Zhou Zekai easily blocked the ball back.

"Actually, there are two options at the beginning." Sun Xiang tried to pave the way for a new strategy.

"All go." Zhou Zekai refused to accept the offer, unexpectedly showing full willfulness.

Sun Xiang choked, and was about to teach him not to be greedy, when the words came to his lips, he swallowed them back and replaced them with one word: "OK."

His inner OS: Forget it, this guy is rounded up to a child crying when hanging salt water, and brother Xiang is so mature and stable, he should be coaxed.Anyway, isn't the current task just to make Zhou Zekai feel better?

Since Zhou Zekai didn't pick up the slack, there was no point in showing off, and Sun Xiang didn't bother to tease him in the future.After continuing to drive like this for five or six minutes, they got off the elevated road, turned three or two traffic lights, and saw the eye-catching bullet logo on the roof of the intersection.

Sun Xiang raised his chin: "Here we are."

"Reincarnation?" Zhou Zekai's tone was slightly surprised.

This reaction greatly pleased Sun Xiang, and he said triumphantly: "Yes, reincarnation. Why this expression, do you think we are going to kick the hall to vent?"

Zhou Zekai quickly regained his composure: "You won't."

Sun Xiang smiled mysteriously: "Of course, this is a coincidence - the most authentic and delicious skewer shop in Shanghai is here!"

3.

Whether it was delicious or not, Zhou Zekai didn’t know, but there was no doubt about its authenticity—Sun Xiang and the boss were talking in dialects with the same pronunciation in their ears, talking about things he didn’t understand at all, Zhou Zekai rubbed the mud on the soles of his shoes, Silently finished folding and buckling the umbrella carefully, and stuffed Sun Xiang's into the bucket at the door.

Because it was past lunch time, the shop was empty.The similar scene reminded Zhou Zekai of his lunch experience the day before.

Fate loves to play this kind of tricks—after 24 hours, the dazed person turned into himself.

The wallpaper is slightly yellowed due to oily smoke, which proves that the store has been in business for a long time.However, the ground and glass windows are exceptionally clean, which shows the owner's love and care.The price of the dishes is simple, with bold black characters: xx yuan/string, billed by string.The rest are all drinks.This form is very new to Zhou Zekai who eats at home all the year round.

He looked around and found that Sun Xiang was holding a plastic basket, picking and choosing in front of the food counter, without any intention of asking himself.The boss is even more leisurely. In the blink of an eye, he has already walked out of the shop, smoking a cigarette slowly under the eaves.

The atmosphere was too casual, and while Zhou Zekai couldn't help but laugh, he felt a kind of complete relaxation.

He chose a seat facing the road, wiped the table with a paper towel—after all, the obsession with cleanliness still existed—and then he was willing to put his elbows on the table, put his head on the table and blend into the slow rhythm, waiting for what Sun Xiang called "Surprise Extra Meal".

"I ordered the pig's brain, but I guess you don't want to eat it. I'll just fish it out later. The rest are common things, you can see for yourself." The blond young man happily sat down opposite him and took the order On the table, he raised his voice to call for the boss, followed by a series of quick words that he couldn't understand.

After the boss left, Zhou Zekai picked up the list, and found that besides the pig's brain, there was written cold cake x2 on it.

Sun Xiang noticed his gaze and explained: "Sweet, spicy, haven't you tried it? You'll know when you taste it later!"

Zhou Zekai smiled, and wanted to point out that the other party hadn't asked him what taboos he had until now, and he just made up his own mind like this, but suddenly felt that there was no need to talk about it.

He believed that Sun Xiang would never have such blurred boundaries when getting along with ordinary friends, and then realized that his relaxation and joy also came from this.If it is broken, it may be self-defeating and cause the atmosphere between the two to go backwards. Then he doesn't know where to cry.

4.

When the boss served the dishes, he looked suspiciously at Zhou Zekai several times, and finally said "ah", recognizing him as the former captain of reincarnation.

"You can't ask for an autograph." Sun Xiang's first reaction was to put his finger on his lips, "Low key!"

Zhou Zekai smiled shyly and commercially, but said nothing.The boss scratched his head naively and said he was sorry, so he didn't hold on anymore.

Sun Xiang didn't know that he unconsciously showed an appearance of protecting Zhou Zekai even on this occasion, but the latter knew - he saw it all.

The food was spicy and irritating, and it didn't take long before Zhou Zekai's forehead was covered with sweat.Seeing his miserable state, Sun Xiang laughed and handed him a tissue.Zhou Zekai took it, wiped it, then remembered that there was still cold cake, scooped out a spoonful, together with brown sugar, it was soft and really sweet.

Sun Xiang finished the first wave of bamboo sticks, wiped his mouth, and then remembered to explain the reason for coming here.

It turned out that when he was still in reincarnation, he found this store by chance, and then sneaked out occasionally to eat skewers.A few times, they bring Du Ming and the others with them, and most of the time, they are alone—in his words, "there are fewer people and the chances of not being discovered by the life management are high"—when they come, they pick a corner and look at the street outside. daze.

"Looking at the street view?" Zhou Zekai was a little surprised.After all, in his poor impression of past glory, Sun Xiang has nothing to do with literary youth.

Sun Xiang turned his face away in embarrassment, and looked out the window: "Hey, no, there is nothing to see in the middle of the night. The lights are all out, Shanghai is cloudy, and often there is no moon, so only the team logo on the top of the building is left. But it seems to have magic power. No matter how bad the mood is, it will get better after watching it for a long time.”

What he didn't say was that when he first transferred, he experienced a period of confusion.The club's requirement for him is immediate combat power, so he cannot have enough breathing room like the youth training players-slowly running in?dream!Hurrying to get results is the only way to prove your worth.

He has never been afraid to meet challenges, but this challenge is not that simple.The public focuses on him, intentionally or unintentionally magnifying every failure of his.Media hackers hurt Zhongyong in a Chinese style, and netizens slandered unreservedly, overwhelming.However, these were not the main reasons for his troubles.As a Glory player, he is more afraid of himself who is at a loss and can't find his rhythm.

Zhou Zekai is willing to accompany him in additional training, and he is very grateful for the harmony and tolerance of the whole team, but it doesn't seem to be of much use—only he can save himself—at least for a long time, he always falls into the quagmire of emotions, Frustration haunted him, and he wanted to smash the keyboard every moment: Why was it just a little bit, still a little bit, always a little bit!Whether it's the pace of offense, the speed of returning to defense, the detection of fake moves, or the comprehension of tactical intentions, they are always close!

His anxiety was noticed by the whole team.At that time, Jiang Botao had a saying that was often on his lips: When you find the feeling, I will treat you!Eat Haidilao!

The first time Sun Xiang heard this declaration, he almost sprayed Du Ming with Coke.

How to describe it, it's probably funny and warm - sure enough, only Chongqing people would dislike Haidilao.

Sun Xiang thought bitterly, if there was such a day, he would have to bite the bullet and pretend to be happy to finish the meal.But the stomachs of Chongqing people can’t be treated badly. After eating, you must find an authentic hot pot or skewer shop to make up for it.

Then, in the middle of the night when the Haidilao feast was over, the boys tiptoed to the back door of the dormitory. Sun Xiang walked at the end. experience.

After that, the number of visits to this store decreased, and my mentality gradually changed.The cooperation between him and Zhou Zekai has become more and more handy, and he has been able to play the dragon's head countless times - and it is because of tactical needs, not for showing off skills.He really felt that the word "champion", once out of reach, seemed to have returned to a position that could be reached with a single stroke.

So being here has simply become a self-reward - for every improvement, small or big.

He is busy during the day, and most of the time is late at night.Sitting in this position, or several other positions, looking out, the team logo will always be the brightest and most conspicuous presence in the entire area.He stared at it for a long time, and could realize that he was one with it—this kind of deep connection, which he had never felt in Yue Yun and Excellent Era.

When he looked at it, his chest would be filled with the pride and expectations of young people, and he thought, yes, one day, this LOGO will appear on the big screen hanging in the middle of the Mercedes-Benz crowd - that place , which serves only one purpose - to display the championship of the current season.

5.

Sun Xiang thought that a long time had passed, these words no longer need to be embarrassing, and he could easily tell Zhou Zekai.

However, at this moment, when his once most trusted partner, now a close friend and landlord, sat in front of him, admiring the huge LOGO together, he suddenly felt emotionally timid.

He lowered his head, using the busyness of solving the food to cover up the sudden blankness in speech.Fortunately, in the end, he finally remembered the original intention of this trip - the one who needed comfort was not himself, but Zhou Zekai.

Sun Xiang rubbed his nose, embarrassed: "Anyway...it has helped me many times, and I hope it will work for you too. Will you be too self-assertive?"

Add another sentence: Anyway, it still depends on how you feel!

Zhou Zekai was actually not very hungry, he had already stopped fishing for skewers.He noticed that Sun Xiang's wolfish appearance was very unscientific, and guessed that this guy was definitely hiding some kind of emotion or past, and it must be something very important to Sun Xiang.

Indeed, if Sun Xiang is willing to tell him about the past, no matter what, no matter how long, he will be very happy.Therefore, he felt very sorry for Sun Xiang's reservation at this moment.But at the same time, he could vaguely guess that the original intention of Sun Xiang's silence might have something to do with him - after all, the other party's attention was on him, and a series of actions were all caused by him, and he, an hour ago, just now Rare emotions were exposed in front of Sun Xiang.

It must be good intentions, Zhou Zekai thought.Sun Xiang never changed.He doesn't want to impose more complicated things on himself when he is uncomfortable.

Once understood in this way, Zhou Zekai was very happy, but he couldn't help but feel like laughing.

Sun Xiang made a mistake.

For Zhou Zekai, no matter how "complex" the former is, it is much simpler than his family's situation.

6.

He also had an ordinary middle school life, until the anonymous letter that tore apart the family appeared, until his mother resolutely divorced, and his father moved out of the house without looking back.

That afternoon, the two adults had an earth-shattering quarrel, and no one noticed that Zhou Zekai, who was carrying a schoolbag across the door, was holding the team application form in his hand, and he was innocently and nervously arranging the plan to persuade his parents just a second ago. discourse.

Ironically, the divorce of his parents suddenly eased the resistance he had to face to join the team.

In order to temporarily dispel the Ye family's worries, the mother briskly signed her name on the guardian column of the application form, and then waited for her to gain a firm foothold, regretted it, and discussed the formal contract with the team and the retirement time agreement, that was all later. things.

That summer brought huge changes to Zhou Zekai's life.At first, he thought he could remain calm, and was even briefly happy that he could successfully become an e-sports player.Then I was taught a lesson: pain has its lag.

His surname is Zhou, and he never belonged to the Ye family.

Taking ten thousand steps back, if he could foresee the future, maybe he would try his best to prevent his mother from going back. It would be better for the two of them to live a little harder than going back.

He has also "goed" to Ye's house many times before. During festivals and elders' birthdays, the adults always smile amiably when they see him, wrap him red envelopes, give him gifts, and take him to eat delicious food.

However, this time, it is to "move" to live in the old house.

He accepts the Ye family's material help and other protections, and must exchange them accordingly.There's a lot to learn, etiquette, boring but necessary knowledge...and also accept jealousy and suspicion.

Suddenly, many people in his life, people he knows and people he doesn't know, come to communicate with him.Every Saturday when I go home is the most difficult process.He was underage at the time, but inside he matured at an astonishing rate.Of course, this was not taught by her mother - she was busy performing in front of Ye Hongyuan, and the occasional communication with him was nothing but ordering him to "make no mistakes", but endless irritability and regret. She regretted signing Zhou Zekai's application form and made herself Losing a powerful bargaining chip——Zhou Zekai realized completely on his own that revealing too much language is not a good thing.

He tried to close himself to a certain extent to reduce emotional leakage.Even though he was forced to do it at the beginning, cultivating a strong heart is indeed the best way for human beings to protect themselves. He quickly got used to his new self and became the handsome but shy "" Zhou Zekai".

7.

These once flashed through his mind, Zhou Zekai gathered his mind and rolled his eyes: "It works. But..."

"But?" Sun Xiang raised his head in doubt, his lips were red with spicy oil, which was quite funny.

Zhou Zekai's gaze stopped for a second, and he looked away as if nothing had happened: "I can't eat too spicy."

"Say it early!" Sun Xiang laughed loudly, asked the boss for a cold drink, put it in a big bowl, and put it in front of Zhou Zekai: "Take it to rinse. What's the relationship between us, are you still coy?"

Zhou Zekai blinked innocently: "I'm afraid that Chongqing people will make fun of me."

Sun Xiang rolled his eyes: "Come on, we're not, it's boring to talk about it."

If someone listened to these words, they would think that Sun Xiang was mocking him.

In Zhou Zekai's ears, all that remained was straightforwardness and an interesting sense of responsibility.

Starting from this small entry point, Sun Xiang realized that he no longer needed to expose those secret and sour emotions,

He began to be able to speak coherently, expressing his point of view.

For example, due to the influence of growth environment, habits, and experiences, everyone will always have various differences.It's like he can never understand why Zhou Zekai finds it spicy, but he can understand.

So in the same way, he couldn't feel Zhou Zekai's pain. "I understand, I can feel that I can say a lot of such beautiful words, but they are very funny and boring!" Sun Xiang shook his head decisively, "The truth is, I can eat skewers with you, after eating Eat barbecue on skewers."

Zhou Zekai smiled, but did not speak.

Sun Xiang rubbed his belly, let out a hiccup, completely relaxed, and couldn't help jokingly said: "What are you laughing at, you should cherish it, after all, there are very few opportunities, so someone doesn't come to live very often."

"That's not important." Zhou Zekai held his head and looked at Sun Xiang lazily, implying, "What you say is what you say."

The sky outside was still dark, like a huge monster pressing over the city, blocking almost all the light.

The rain splashed on the glass surface.From time to time there was a rumbling thunder.

In the dark world, only Zhou Zekai's eyes are bright.

He is laughing.The corner of the mouth slightly raised an arc, with just the right amount of tenderness, a little ambiguous, too eye-catching and fatal.

Sun Xiang's heart beat in disbelief.The abnormalities in his body didn't stop there. He had just drank Coke, and his throat suddenly became dry.

I do not know how long it has been.

Sun Xiang grabbed a Coke as if waking up from a dream, and while moistening his throat, he concealed his embarrassment.But when he put down the coke, Zhou Zekai was still looking at him.

His face was astonishingly hot, but for some unknown reason, he knew that he couldn't continue this stalemate. He subconsciously looked away and hurriedly got up: "What are you doing in a daze? I, I'm going to pay the bill, don't I have to go to the next location?"

TBC