That Nameless Summer Chapter 43

meet

Song Li stayed at a riverside B&B for half a month, and his life seemed to be in slow motion.Every morning he was woken up by the river breeze, wrapped in his coat and walked around the river, watching the morning sun spread over the river; in the afternoon he turned on the live broadcast and played games silently in front of the screen. Occasionally, his teammates’ teasing came from the earphones, but he just responded lightly; after turning off the live broadcast late at night, he sat by the window in a daze, watching the fishing fires on the river, and his mind was filled with the shadow of Ling Qingye.

He has never been to the CBD again, but he always subconsciously avoids that area when shopping or eating, as if he is avoiding a disaster that he is destined to meet again.But this city is too small, so small that when he went to the supermarket to buy instant noodles, the milk on the shelf was the brand that Ling Qingye often brought him seven years ago; so small that when he took a taxi, the driver casually mentioned that “Ling’s Technology has recently raised funds”, which made him tighten his hand on the car door instantly.

During the live broadcast, a fan asked him, “Why is Ye Shen always out of town? The scenery looks so familiar.” He just vaguely said, “I have something to do temporarily.” He hurriedly cut the camera, not daring to let anyone know that he was still in this city with Ling Qingye.He was afraid that fans would reveal more, that Ling Qingye would be exposed to the live broadcast, and even more afraid that the defense he had finally built would be defeated by any connection.

That evening, Song Li finished his live broadcast and wanted to go to the riverside to eat a bowl of noodles.As soon as he walked out of the B&B, he saw a black off-road vehicle parked at the intersection. The model was so familiar that it made his heart skip a beat.He subconsciously shrank into the corner and lowered the brim of his hat. He didn’t relax until the car slowly drove away, but his palms were already sweating.

He knew that he was deceiving himself. This city was Ling Qingye’s home field and the probability of meeting him was too high, but he just couldn’t bear to leave.It was as if there was a thread holding him in the dark, making him hesitate in this city, looking forward to meeting again but afraid of actually meeting him.

Ling Qingye has always been a little uneasy lately.During a meeting, I would suddenly become distracted and my eyes would fall out of the window, remembering Song Li’s back when he was escaping. When working overtime late at night, I would unconsciously open the passenger’s old notebook and stare at the basketball graffiti in a daze.When the assistant was reporting on his work, he mentioned that “Nowadays, the anchor who is very popular in the e-sports circle recently, seems to be in this city.” His hand holding the pen paused, and he looked calm on the surface, but there was a turmoil in his heart.

He didn’t check where Song Li lived, nor did he deliberately watch his live broadcast. But every time he passed by the river, he would subconsciously slow down and scan the B&Bs and pedestrians on the roadside, as if he was looking for something, but also as if he was afraid of finding it.He was afraid that his approach would make Song Li escape again, and that the seven years of blankness would really leave the two of them strangers.

On the afternoon of the weekend, Song Li rarely did a live broadcast. He walked along the river and walked to a park unknowingly.There were many people walking and picnicking in the park, and it was so lively that he felt uncomfortable.He found a remote bench and sat down, watching a group of children playing basketball not far away. The sun was shining on them, and their energetic appearance reminded him of himself and Ling Qingye seven years ago.

At that time, they always played ball on the playground. Ling Qingye played very steadily, unlike him who always ran around.Every time he fell, Ling Qingye would squat down, frown and wipe her wounds, saying “be careful next time” with a disgusting tone but extremely gentle movements.

A faint smile unconsciously appeared on Song Li’s lips, but there was moisture in his eyes.Those days were the only warmth he dared to recall over and over again in the past seven years.

Just then, a familiar smell of cedar drifted over.

Song Li’s body froze instantly, as if a restraining spell had been cast on him.He didn’t dare to look back, his heart was beating wildly, and his mind went blank except for one thought: Why is he here?

Ling Qingye accompanied a client to a company near the park to discuss cooperation. The client went to answer the phone temporarily, so he walked around nearby. Unexpectedly, he saw that familiar figure from behind.Song Li was sitting on a bench, wearing a simple white sweater and a peaked cap on his lap. His hair was a little messy in the wind. The outline of his profile looked particularly soft in the sun, a little less alienated during the live broadcast and a little more fragile.

Ling Qingye stood there, his steps like lead, unable to move even an inch.He watched Song Li staring blankly at the child on the basketball court, the tenderness and nostalgia in his eyes, like a thin needle, gently piercing his heart.Seven years later, Song Li still seems to be the same young man who would risk everything for basketball, but there are too many vicissitudes of life in his eyes that he cannot understand.

The two of them were just a dozen meters apart, one sitting and the other standing, not moving.

The laughter in the park, the sounds of children playing, and the rustling of leaves in the wind all became vague background sounds.Time seems to have stopped at this moment. Seven years of time and seven years of distance are all concentrated in this silent gaze.

Song Li finally came to his senses first, stood up suddenly, grabbed the peaked cap on the chair and put it on his head, turned around and left, his steps hurried, as if he was escaping from a sudden encounter.He didn’t dare to look back, afraid to see Ling Qingye’s eyes, afraid that he would be unable to help but stop, afraid that all the pretense would collapse at this moment.

Ling Qingye looked at his back as he fled again, his Adam’s apple rolled hard, he clenched his fists, but still did not pursue him.He knew that Song Li was not ready yet, and neither was he.The gap of seven years cannot be bridged by a chance encounter. Some wounds need time to heal slowly, and some worries require courage to tell slowly.

Song Li ran out of the park in one breath. When Ling Qingye could no longer be seen, he stopped holding on to the tree on the roadside and gasped for air.The sun was dazzling, but he felt cold all over, and the tears in his eyes finally couldn’t help but fall.

He didn’t know that after he turned around and left, Ling Qingye stood there, looking at his back, for a long, long time.It wasn’t until the client came back that he looked away, his face returning to its former indifference, but his clenched fists still didn’t loosen.

This city is like a huge cage, trapping two people who care about each other but dare not get close.Seven years of time have not been able to dilute the longing in their hearts. Instead, this relationship has settled into a scar that is difficult to heal. It hurts when touched, but they are reluctant to erase it.

They are still in the same city, staggering along their own trajectories. Occasional encounters will only make their care for each other deeper and make the deadlock more difficult to break.And those words hidden deep in my heart, those unspoken longings, can only be spoken silently to an empty room late at night.