C35

Zhou Jin avoided answering my question. The smile on his face became even wider as he said, "Let's go out for a stroll."

"I want to see it." I took his hand.

Zhou Jin noticed my movements slightly stunned, and then tightened his grip on my hand.

It's daytime now, and there are a lot of people coming and going around, so no one cares about us.

"Zhou Jin, take me there." I leaned close to Zhou Jin and whispered in his ear, "Can I?"

Zhou Jin's ears immediately turned red. It was obvious that the two of us had already slept so many times.

He looked at me as if he could see my determination to go to his place today. He pursed his lips and finally said, as if with a sigh, "Let's go."

He took me by the hand and led me inside the compound. We arrived at the building at the very end of the compound. He took me up to the top floor of the building.

He took out his key, opened the wooden door of the attic, and led me in.

There was a skylight on the ceiling, and the sun was shining through the glass windows. After a while, I started to sweat, there was only some old furniture in the house, on the floor was a tattered mattress, on top of which was a neatly folded quilt, on the other side of the room was a music rack with some paint beside it.

I looked again at the kitchen, which, since it was on the top floor, was unplugged. There were only two bags of bread and a bottle of water in the kitchen.

"You live here?" Eat this? " I asked Zhou Jin.

From the moment they entered the room, Zhou Jin had been standing silently by the door, his head slightly lowered, looking rather embarrassed. I knew he didn't want me to see him in such a sorry state.

Zhou Jin nodded and said, "Let's go."

"Can you get used to it?" I asked.

Zhou Jin smiled at me, as if he didn't know what to say other than laugh and silence.

I sat on the mattress and looked around me. The walls were mottled and covered with black mold.

He shouldn't be living like this.

"How are you going to make money?" I asked him, he had already quit Xie Zongming's job, and I don't think he can get enough for the time being.

After a moment of silence, Zhou Jin said, "I'll find a job."

"What are you going to do?" I looked up at him, and for a moment his face was a little pale. Maybe my question was too direct and hurt his pride.

He didn't answer me, just came over and put his arm around my shoulders and rested his head on mine. He looked tired, and I had already guessed what he could do except find some hard work after his family had forced him to stop studying. Before, his own brother had helped him, but now, he was the only one left.

He still didn't know what he was going to face.

He was holding my hand, hard, and I knew what he meant.

Zhou Jin, he only has me.

I looked at the sunlight coming through the skylight and thought, He shouldn't be living like this, at least not for me.

I pursed my lips and smiled, then lifted Zhou Jin's head and said, "Let's go out for a walk."

Zhou Jin's clear eyes looked at me and nodded.

I took Zhou Jin by the hand and walked out the door. I looked back at the broken wooden door of the attic. He would leave immediately.

"Let's go eat first." "No," I said.

Zhou Jin and I had gone to the restaurant that I had always wanted to go to. Originally, I had planned to go with Xie Zongming, but Xie Zongming kept saying that he did not have the time or that he found this restaurant too expensive.

"You like it here?" Zhou Jin asked me in the dining room. He looked at the big fish swimming outside the glass.

"Yes." "Don't you think it's romantic here?"

This was a restaurant under the sea. The four walls were made entirely of glass. Through the curved roof, one could see all kinds of fish shuttling through the coral. The entire restaurant was shrouded in a dark blue light.

Zhou Jin probably came here often, and he skillfully ordered some delicious specialty dishes for me, they were all very good.

After dinner, we went to see a movie. It was a horror film about zombies that was being released recently. Zhou Jin held my hand the whole time.

When it was finally time to say goodbye, Zhou Jin and I stood outside his house for the time being. He looked at me with eyes full of happiness, filled with gentleness that almost overflowed.

"Goodbye." I said, "You go up. I'll watch you from below."

Zhou Jin looked at me and shook his head. "Why did you send it here today?"

I tightly held his hand and said smilingly, "Before, you always looked at me. This time, I want to look at you."

Zhou Jin smiled but did not say anything. His face was slightly flushed.

"Let's go up." I said quietly, my smile never changing.

Zhou Jin gave me a last deep look before turning to leave.

The wind blew his shirt, and his long back moved away from me.

"Zhou Jin!" I couldn't help but call out to him.

Zhou Jin turned around, standing under the tree full of flowers. It was currently sunset, and as the sunlight fell on him, he revealed a faint smile, as if his entire person was shining.

"Zhou Jin …" I trotted over and stood on tiptoe to kiss him on the cheek. I didn't care what people around me thought.

Zhou Jin's face turned even redder, and his eyes also began to shine brightly.

"Alright, let's go." I reached out and patted Zhou Jin's shoulder.

Zhou Jin gave me a reluctant look before finally turning around and walking away.

I watched Zhou Jin walk further and further away until he finally disappeared in front of my eyes, and I couldn't help but feel a slight pain in my heart.

Goodbye, Zhou Jin.

As I walked slowly home, the sky was filled with clouds that had been dyed by the setting sun.

My life had been off track, I had seen beautiful landscapes I had never seen before, I had met people I could not possibly have met, but now I was leaving him.

I want my life back on track.

I went to the market to buy some food. I wanted to make some food that Zhou Jin liked to eat, but when I stood in the middle of a pile of food, I realized that I didn't know what Zhou Jin liked to eat.

When I carried the food home, the house was empty. I methodically prepared dinner, feeling that the whole world was abnormally lonely.

"It smells so good." Xie Zongming asked as soon as he entered the room, "Did you make braised pork today?"

"Yes." "Yes," I said.

Xie Zongming stepped forward and wrapped his arms around my waist, but I didn't push him away.

"Are you in a good mood today?" Xie Zongming asked me, "Are you finally willing to forgive me?" He was always lost in his fantasies.

"Yes." I nodded and smiled. "I was in a good mood today. I thought of you the moment I saw the pork in the market."

"Thank you." Xie Zongming hugged me as he tried to kiss my face.

When I saw that he was going to kiss me on the cheek, my first thought was to push him away, but I thought better of it.

"We haven't done it for a long time …" Xie Zongming said in a flattering manner, "Today, we …"