Late ripening

"Ding", the aircraft safety indicator light turns green.Lu Qian took off his glasses. Just after the Spring Festival holiday, he and a few colleagues were called by the headquarters to City B to do due diligence on a project. After almost three weeks of continuous work, it finally came to an end.He has always put work at the top of his life. This is one of the last few projects before he was promoted to partner, and he wants to do it more beautifully.

The stewardess came over with a sweet voice and asked him what he wanted to drink, while Fang Fei was busy arranging the small souvenirs he bought for his wife.Lu Qian reached out to take two glasses of ice water, and watched him frantically fold the embroidered patchwork that he bought in the art garden.Fang Fei seemed to have received his slightly disdainful gaze, and raised his head and clicked his tongue, "What? No one can think about me, just say it, don't always show that kind of envious and jealous look."

Lu Qian was too lazy to argue with him and handed him the water glass.The female lawyer in the front row turned around with a smile, "Lawyer Fang and his wife are so sweet. I see you buying these things every time I go on a business trip." Fang Fei was not at all embarrassed, and smiled along with her white teeth, "She just likes it." These, I thought, would be better than buying souvenirs. I’ve been away on business for so long this month, so I can’t make up for it.”

Seeing him muttering about sorting out these things, Lu Qian's thoughts wandered for a while.I don't know how Jing Yan has been in the past few weeks. He only called him on his birthday, but no one answered. Mrs. Yu took two photos of him eating cake.I don't know if he opened the gift and looked at it. Fang Fei said that he liked it, and he laughed at himself - giving a watch to a high school student is probably far from the word.He was taking his watch in for repairs when he caught a glimpse of a new quartz watch on the counter.The salesperson enthusiastically told him that this is a new season, and it is very suitable as a gift for personal use.

Maybe it was reminded just now, he just thought that he might not have time to pick out other gifts, so he simply ordered it early.The clerk asked him what color he wanted, but he couldn't think of which one Jing Yan would like, so he pointed to the dark blue that was the same color as his dial.

The plane kept going south, Lu Qian felt that the sun was a bit dazzling, so he pulled down the visor.Children of this age are really troublesome, he remembered what Fang Fei said to him when he brought Jing Yan home.But the one at home is not troublesome, it is himself who is upset.

Lu Qian took back his luggage and bid farewell to other colleagues.Fang Fei's car was being used by his wife, and he followed him to the parking lot to pick up the car.He put the luggage into the trunk with one hand, picked up two bags on the ground, and there was a sound of plastic hitting the carton inside. "You bought this for your wife too?" Lu Qian asked casually.

"No, this is for Jing Yan." Fang Fei was busy texting his wife, without turning his head back.Lu Qian paused for a moment, and put it away as if nothing had happened.The bag was too big for him to see what was inside.

He drove the car onto the highway, and Fang Fei finally reported the itinerary to his wife and put down his phone. "What did you buy for him? Is it a puzzle again?" Fang Fei glanced at him, "Lego. Lego has opened a flagship store in City B, and I bought him a new limited edition."

"He likes Lego?" Fang Fei looked at him a little strangely, "That's right. Didn't you see a lot of collages in his room? Clean up your bookcase when you have time, it's all unused Books, there is no place for other people to put toys.”

Lu Qian nodded, indicating that he understood.Fang Fei received a text message on his phone, opened it and read it, "Damn," he couldn't help cursing. "What's the matter?" The car got off the highway and merged into the increasingly crowded traffic.

Fang Fei scratched his head, a little annoyed. "The Mr. Li I told you about last time, I just found a reason to prevaricate it. He didn't seem to believe it. During this time, he often asked me about you. He asked me to invite you to dinner as soon as we got off the plane. "Looking at the car ahead that suddenly changed lanes, Lu Qian resisted the urge to honk, "Why did you tell him that?"

"What else can I say? It's just that you are too busy and you don't want to think about it for the time being. The other party doesn't bother to listen to what I said about these scenes." His face suddenly became a little stiff, but he had to become serious again, and turned to face Lu Qian, "Tell me the truth, are you really gay?"

After speaking, he himself was a little nervous, "I have no other intentions. I have been friends with you for so many years, and I can't discriminate against you because of this," his tone was a bit dumbfounding, "But you haven't had a lover for so long. Anyway, you Hurry up and find someone for me to deal with, do you know how many people want to know you through me these few years?"

Lu Qian sighed in his heart.Unlike work, this is something out of his control.He knew his sexual orientation early on, but knowing that didn't mean he had to act.

He had a lover in college. The dopamine secretion brought about by love is pleasant, but it is followed by troubles that are difficult to describe to others.The other party's impermanent emotional changes, and the need to worry about not being seen by the people around him at school, and the two people's different ideas about the future made him feel tired, and he was tired of this state.

Since I can't control the direction of one thing, I simply let this road disappear at the end of the weeds.

What's more, right now, he has no extra energy to spend talking about feelings. "Next time someone asks you, if it's convenient, you can just tell me about me, if it's inconvenient, just say that I have a child at home and I don't have time."

It was past seven o'clock in the evening when Lu Qian drove near the city, Fang Fei asked him if he wanted to have dinner together.He was a little absent-minded and wanted to go back early.Just as he was talking, Fang Fei suddenly stared straight at a certain place outside the window, "What's the matter?" He was driving on a narrow road, driving very slowly. "Isn't that Jing Yan?"

He turned his head and glanced to be sure.Jing Yan was wearing a school uniform and carrying a dark gray schoolbag, and looked a little thinner from the glass window.Grabbing the strap of the schoolbag with one hand, he walked slowly forward.Lu Qian stopped the car and wanted to get down to call him.

"Hey, look, there is a girl next to him." Lu Qian saw the person next to him, wearing the same school uniform, a girl with a ponytail.The two were talking while walking, the girl lowered her head to grab his hand, and leaned over to look at his face, Jing Yan seemed to be smiling.

Lu Qian stared at his back without making a sound, motionless, "Tsk tsk, I just said why Jing Yan is here. I guess he is dating a female classmate." Fang Fei wanted Lu Qian to continue driving, then turned his head Seeing his face was startled. "What are you doing, are you angry? I'll just say it, maybe I just came here to play with my classmates. Don't you always say that he doesn't go out?"

Lu Qian drove with a blank expression on his face, "Oh, don't go back and scare the children with a sullen face. It doesn't have to be a relationship, even if it is, what's the matter, just ask the situation and educate him, don't scold him." He looked around "Where are you going?" Lu Qian said as he turned the corner, "Go to eat."

After taking Fang Fei home, he turned off the ignition in the parking lot downstairs and sat with a cigarette for a while.He didn't want to smoke so much recently, he watched the sparks flickering between his fingers, took two puffs, and pinched them out in the ashtray.The scene of seeing Jing Yan is still repeated in his mind, maybe it is caused by the unchangeable desire to control in his bones, the moment he saw it just now, he wanted to get out of the car and pull Jing Yan back, and wanted to ask him if you gave me today. Calling and asking when I'll be home, is it too busy to go out on a date?

He almost wanted to follow the unaware child to see what he was going to do, but what Fang Fei said beside him calmed him down quickly.These inexplicably dark thoughts made him feel gloomy, Lu Qian squeezed the cigarette case and threw it aside.Let's just think that this child has infiltrated into his life too much, he told himself, it's inevitable that a child's puppy love will cause headaches for parents, won't it?

He pushed the suitcase and walked home. The room was dark and no one was in the living room.Have you come back yet? Lu Qian frowned and looked at his watch. It was almost 09:30.He kept himself from thinking about it, and carried the bag to Jing Yan's room, Fang Fei said that he had bought a lot of toys, but he never showed them to him.

He pushed open the half-hidden door of the small bedroom, a small bedside lamp was on, and Jing Yan was lying on the bed sleeping.It seems that he has fallen asleep for a while, and there is a glass of Coke on the desk that is almost melted.

Lu Qian gently put the bag on the ground. He looked at his bookcase with his hands behind his back. Some assembled Lego models were placed in the corner of the lower floor. There were two books that he picked out last time. Dare to move, several parts that have not been assembled are piled up in a ball, crowded in a cramped corner of the bookcase.He opened the glass cabinet door and moved the two books away, thinking that these rows of books should be able to be moved to his room. The box Fang Fei bought looked very big, and he wondered if it would be enough for him.

The sound of the switch made Jing Yan move twice, Lu Qian turned his head sensitively, the child was still awake, and the quilt was on his lap.He bent down to cover him, Jing Yan's eyelids moved, and his face was buried in the soft pillow, as if struggling to wake up.Lu Qian knelt down halfway, calling him while patting.

"Jing Yan, Jing Yan", Lu Qian put one hand on his shoulder - he has indeed lost weight visibly in the past half a month since he was away, and the collar of his pajamas seemed to be slipping off.Jing Yan's fine eyelashes were trembling, and there was a small blue shadow under his eyes, he put his arms around his waist to help him turn over, Jing Yan half-opened his eyes, and saw that it was him who yelled softly.

"Don't sleep on your stomach, it hurts your heart." Jing Yan didn't seem to be fully awake yet, Lu Qian didn't let go of his hands, and straightened his crooked pajamas.The child's eyes gradually focused, "Uncle, you are back..." He unconsciously rubbed his head against Lu Qian's leg, "Well, I just came back. Your Uncle Fang bought you a new Lego," he pointed to the ground bag.

Jing Yan thought that he really shouldn't sleep this early and late.When he came back at night, he felt a little tired. He drank some Coke and fell asleep wrapped in a quilt. Now he was dizzy and his mind was not clear. "Oh...then thank Uncle Fang for me..." The light was a bit dim, and he couldn't see the little uncle's face clearly, so he moved towards the light source.

Lu Qian asked him to lie down, touched his face to make sure he didn't have a fever, and stood up.Jing Yan's gaze followed him, watching him open the door of the bookcase, as if he was examining what books were in the collection. "Are you tired from studying during this time? Are there any particularly difficult subjects? How is your relationship with your classmates?" Lu Qian looked up at the upper bookshelf, and he didn't read a single word of what was written on the covers of the rows.

Jing Yan was a little confused, the little uncle rarely asked him so many questions in one go.He blinked his eyes and answered one by one, "Fortunately... I don't understand some parts of mathematics, but the teacher opened after-school tutoring for us, and I signed up for it. The relationship with my classmates..." He lowered his head and clasped his fingers. Holding the quilt, "it's nice to be with my classmates, I went out to play with my classmates today."

He didn't hear his little uncle's response. He looked up and found that Lu Qian turned around to look at him at some point. He hid in the dark place of the light, "Yes, that's good." After he finished speaking, he turned on the light. Jing Yan's eyes were closed. Unable to adapt to the sudden brightness, he subconsciously blocked it with his hand.

Lu Qian stared at the smile on his face before he could take it back, "Read the book and review, or go to bed early." Without looking at him again, he closed the door and left the room.

The author says:

Today's second update.Everyone has to look at themselves occasionally.