At the end of August, Zhuang Fanxin returned to the United States for school. After a long flight across the ocean, he landed in Los Angeles. Facing the familiar street scene and looking at the people around him, he couldn't help feeling a dream-like blur.
Gu Zhuoyan took him by his side and asked, "What hysteria?"
Zhuang Fanxin smiled naively, unable to answer. The year they separated, he followed his parents when they landed, with red and swollen eyes, and legs filled with lead. Since then, he has thrown himself into a new life in a foreign country. The obsessive love is only separated by the coast that even the world can't do at this time.
At this moment, with a warm palm clasped on his shoulder, half of his body was hot, and when he raised his head, he met Gu Zhuoyan's deep eyes. "It's so unreal." He sighed softly, wrapped his arms around Gu Zhuoyan's waist, exerted 100% of his strength with his slender arms, as if he was worried that the moment would be a dream that would disappear.
Gu Zhuoyan could always see what Zhuang Fan was thinking and what he was afraid of, he squeezed the shoulder under his palm, and pouted his mouth not far away. Zhuang Fanxin followed his instructions and looked over there, there was a man and woman who had reunited after a long absence, maybe they were lovers or husband and wife, embracing each other tightly.
"Do you know," Gu Zhuoyan said, "The image I have imagined the most after the breakup is that. I came to the United States and you waited for me at the airport. I have been thinking about it for a year and a half."
Zhuang Fan was completely at a loss for words, and even his footsteps became sluggish. Gu Zhuoyan took him outside and said the second part of the sentence: "It's all right now, we are like them, and we can only be reunited from now on."
The word "Reunion" is like a lighted match thrown into the fireplace, and it burns up loudly, spreading a bright fire in the dark night. The dream-like trance dissipated, and the unreal worries disappeared, and Zhuang Fanxin took every step lightly but firmly.
Behind him, Zhuang Xianyang and Zhao Jianqiu were by Xue Maochen's side, looking at the backs of Gu Zhuoyan and Zhuang Fanxin together, the two little ones crossed their shoulders, their eyes were affectionate, they were quite shameless in the eyes of the elders.
Xue Maochen kept the mission of this trip in mind, and asked in advance: "Does Xiaozhuang's grandma know?"
Zhuang Xianyang replied: "I know, Fan Xin knew about it during the two years when he was ill."
Under the circumstances at the time, the old man only cared about whether his grandson could recover, and didn't care about anything else. Later, he also wondered what kind of person Zhuang Fan was thinking about.
Gu Zhuoyan pricked up his ears to hear the words behind him, he suddenly became nervous, asked questions along the way, and became irritable again, dressed casually and comfortably on the plane, would he be rude when he saw the old man later.
Zhuang Fanxin said something very straight: "You look handsome even in a sack."
Gu Zhuo said sincerely: "Although I look handsome in a sack, I can't really wear a sack." He stroked the ring on his ring finger, and there was a bit of a businessman's copper smell, "The ring was made by my grandfather. , you put it on for me, but I didn't get anything out, doesn't that make me look too stingy?"
Zhuang Fanxin responded with an eye for an eye: "Why are you so materialistic? So vulgar?"
"..." Gu Zhuoyan was so choked that he couldn't speak, and even more depressed, he leaned on the rear door and stared out the window, his posture was like a lilac girl who was full of resentment. Zhuang Fanxin leaned forward to coax him, and revealed the truth: "Don't worry, my grandma has seen your photos and videos hundreds of times, and she doesn't like people like you, what does she want?"
Gu Zhuoyan breathed a sigh of relief, then was surprised again: "What video?"
Zhuang Fanxin said: "Something happened before...my grandma also saw the online video."
Gu Zhuoyan yelled: "That surveillance?!" In the company, someone pushed his grandson on the operating table, lifted his hijab and kissed, "Damn it, I'm fucking ashamed to face people."
Xue Manzi bumped into him sitting on his lap in the office, Zhuang Fanxin understood this feeling, as someone who had experienced it, he wanted to comfort Gu Zhuoyan, but as soon as his lips moved, Gu Zhuoyan broke down and said, "Stop talking, shut up! "
In the second half of the journey, Gu Zhuoyan leaned against the window to prepare, his heart rate fluctuated up and down, and his brow was sweating from anxiety before getting out of the car.
It was dusk, and the garden of the farmer was indescribably beautiful. The house was a Victorian building with a spire top. Under the carved lintel, an old man with silver curly hair stood there. He was wearing a dress and high heels. He was the grandma of the farmer who had been specially dressed.
Zhuang Fanxin ran over to support the old man's side, and said in a casual way: "This is too pretty."
The old lady ignored him and looked at the young man who was approaching under the steps. She didn't wear any glasses, and after a while she saw it clearly and said a very cute sentence: "You are more handsome than the photo."
I don't know if it's because of Xiaguang, or because of the sudden thinning of his skin, Gu Zhuoyan blushed when he stepped on the steps, and when he came to the old man, he looked handsome, calm and respectful, and called out "Grandma".
Both his grandma and grandma left early, and he hadn't called out this call for many years. After the call, a wrinkled hand stretched out to hold him. His big hand held him immediately. When he touched something in his palm, he looked down, and it was a very Chinese-style red envelope.
The old lady said, "Xiaoyan, you are welcome."
Gu Zhuoyan's face turned even redder, Xiaoyan, his parents never called him that, he was standing tall and tall, he forgot to bring the meeting gift, and he couldn't speak well even if he was obedient.
Zhuang Fanxin looked at it, not adding fuel to the fire, but adding honey to the sugar: "Grandma, the door hasn't entered yet, so is it too impatient to give the red envelope now?"
The old lady took Gu Zhuoyan's hand, saw the ring on the ring finger, and replied: "Your grandfather made a wedding ring. You haven't gotten married yet, and the wedding hasn't happened yet. I think you're also quite impatient."
Zhuang Fanxin admitted: "It means I passed it on from generation to generation."
Until entering the room, Gu Zhuoyan was dizzy all the time. The love of the older generation was so debilitating. He seemed to have returned to his childhood, being coaxed by his grandma to eat this and that, asking cold and hot questions, and being praised for everything he said. All requirements will be met.
Xue Maochen became even more energetic, calling out his "in-laws", exuding the lively factor accumulated by the old widower for many years.
In the evening, Gu Zhuoyan took a tour of the house. The third floor is Zhuang Fanxin's site. The carpet is very thick. As soon as you go up, you will find a workshop with various objects. There are studios and storage rooms on both sides of the corridor, and the bedroom is the narrowest. Only one small cross window was open.
Zhuang Fanxin was making the bed: "Are you sleepy from jet lag?"
"It's okay." Gu Zhuoyan walked in, "There are so many rooms, how do you choose this one for sleeping?"
Zhuang Fanxin had seen Gu Zhuoyan's house in the mansion, and the bathrooms were more spacious than here, he said: "At that time, I wanted a smaller space, and I felt at ease when I closed the doors and windows."
Practical means "sense of security", Gu Zhuoyan instantly understood what stage "at that time" probably referred to, he ended this topic, and fell heavily on the bed like a boy: "What are you doing with two pillows, I only have one head. "
Zhuang Fanxin bent over and stretched the bed sheet: "Has my head been chopped off?"
Gu Zhuo said: "Pillow my arm to cure cervical spondylosis." He stretched out his hand and pulled Zhuang Fanxin onto his body, the bed was low, and the two figures overlapped and cast on the wall. Outside the cross window is the lamp on the cornice, which is very bright, adding a touch of bright yellow through it.
With his heart resting on Gu Zhuoyan's arms, Zhuang Fan muttered, "School will start in five days."
"Yeah." Gu Zhuoyan understood, "Worried?"
Zhuang Fan nodded heartily, he was afraid that he could not do well, but despite his worry, he kept an uncontrollable throbbing, eager to try and break through, even if he stumbled, it didn't matter.
Gu Zhuoyan encouraged him: "You can set a goal. When you were sick, you wanted to see me so you could get better slowly. Now, you want to design something for me and work harder."
Unexpectedly, Zhuang Fanxin had already thought about it: "You wait a little later, I will design for Auntie first."
"My mother?" Gu Zhuoyan didn't talk much about the relationship between mother and child, "She has a cabinet of jewelry, don't worry about her."
Zhuang Fanxin said: "Of course not. You gave me Auntie's earrings, and I have to send a pair back, so you don't mind. Also, in the future, you are not allowed to borrow flowers to present Buddha, it will scare people to death when you show your stuff!"
Gu Zhuoyan sneered, comparing himself to a Buddha, he really knows how to make money... He turned over and buried it in Zhuang Fanxin's shoulder, sniffing the scent of the shower gel, his voice became soft: "Amitabha, please bless the Buddha I."
Zhuang Fan endured the twitching of the corner of his mouth: "No problem."
"What's the use of talking." Gu Zhuoyan raised his head and asked, "Where is the peace amulet you folded for me, let me see."
Still thinking about this matter, Zhuang Fan hesitated: "I'm clumsy, I don't fold very well, and it's old... That aunt back then may not be reliable in teaching."
That hand is still stupid, can others survive? Gu Zhuoyan laughed and said, "Why are there so many reasons, you can't lie to me because there is no such thing at all?"
"Of course not!" Zhuang Fanxin drooped his eyes, "Tomorrow, I'll show you tomorrow, I'm sleepy today."
This evasion is a bit strange, Gu Zhuoyan is not easy to fool him: "I'm not sleepy." He held Zhuang Fanxin's head up, stared at it, and within three to five seconds made him helpless.
Zhuang Fanxin got up, put on his slippers slowly, and found a small key from the closet. Lock it up and put it on the shelf? Gu Zhuoyan watched silently until Zhuang Fanxin left the room, listening to the movement, Zhuang Fanxin stopped in the corridor and opened the locked storage room.
Gu Zhuoyan looked over curiously, the door of the storage room was ajar and dark, Zhuang Fanxin did not turn on the light after entering. He pushed the door open and entered, vaguely seeing Zhuang Fanxin's silhouette in the dark, raised his hand to fumble for a while, and suddenly turned on the chandelier.
The storage room was brightly lit, Gu Zhuoyan was completely stunned.
This is the most spacious room, and the walls are densely hung with paintings, one on top of the other, without any space, and the cabinets in the center of the room are all paintings, black and white, oil paint, just a few strokes Or carefully crafted, there are nearly a thousand pieces, large and small, each of which is a portrait of Gu Zhuoyan.
Dazzling, Gu Zhuoyan's eyes wandered around, the shock could not subside for a long time, he was wearing a school uniform, he was carrying a schoolbag, he was studying, playing ball, standing under the banyan tree with nothing to do...
T-shirt and jeans, holding a crushed plush toy, that is the appearance of Gu Zhuoyan getting off the off-road vehicle the day he arrived in Rongcheng. There are paints on the cheekbones, and he is leaning over the desk and writing vigorously. It is a picture of Gu Zhuoyan fighting and punishing him for writing inspections. On the street, riding a bicycle with a big beam is the scene of Gu Zhuoyan going to school every day. Every bit of the past, every contact they had after they met, Gu Zhuoyan's appearance was recorded on the canvas by Zhuang Fanxin, even fencing, horse riding, and photos from Moments of Friends were also included.
Some are fresh in color, some are thick and colorful, some have a few outlines, and some are half-naked/naked with clear descriptions of muscle groups... Hundreds of paintings, Zhuang Fanxin's love and desire over the years can be seen at a glance, vividly Presented in front of Gu Zhuoyan.
Zhuang Fanxin was standing by the side cabinet, his embarrassment after being exposed made him unable to lift his head, lowered his head, and stared at the box on the cabinet in panic. Gu Zhuoyan approached him step by step, his voice was trembling: "Why didn't you show me?"
"...I'm afraid I'll scare you." Zhuang Fanxin said, "Many of them were drawn during the two years of treatment. I'm not sure if it's normal for me to do these..."
Under the huge impact, Gu Zhuoyan didn't know what to say: "How could it scare me, how could it be abnormal." He pulled Zhuang Fanxin's arm, making him turn around and fall into his chest, it was hard to tell whether it was painting or not. Said people, "I like it very much, it's my baby."
Zhuang Fanxin leaned on his shoulder: "Every time I complete a painting, it feels like you are accompanying me."
It seemed that it was not so hard to bear, so he kept painting, painted so much, and passed through the tormented and long years.
In the side cabinet, the fencing uniform that Gu Zhuoyan gave to Zhuang Fanxin was well preserved, as well as the pair of white sneakers. And in the box that Zhuang Fanxin was rummaging through, there was a stack of postcards and a love letter on the first floor. The paper was badly damaged, obviously it had been flipped through countless times.
The second layer of the box is full of peace charms, one hundred and eighty pieces, a small part is folded very rough, probably just learned, others are folded firmly and standard. Gu Zhuoyan grabbed it: "I folded it for me, can I take it with me?"
Zhuang Fanxin nodded: "Choose a few good ones if you want."
Gu Zhuoyan added: "I also want these paintings."
"It's all good." Zhuang Fanxin whispered, "What's mine is also yours."
Gu Zhuoyan felt a burning urgency, wishing that the sun would rise and dawn at this moment, he held Zhuang Fanxin tightly, chanting obsessively like a believer in front of the Buddha: "I have made an appointment for a marriage license, and I will do it tomorrow, nothing will go wrong. Well, if it comes out, I'm afraid I'm going to play a fool in Los Angeles..."
The uncontrollable emotion in these words was too obvious, Zhuang Fan didn't answer, and even squeezed his mouth tightly. He has said long ago that he is content with knowing Gu Zhuoyan, he has accumulated too much merit after going through many things and never being separated from this person.
The moon outside the window is bright, the wind is blowing, and everything is too good to be true.
On the second day after coming to Los Angeles, Gu Zhuoyan woke up with an empty body next to him, with only a sliver of warmth left. He sat up and saw two ironed suits hanging on the closet. His suit was made by Zhuang Fanxin himself. .
Pushing open the cross window, Gu Zhuoyan leaned forward and looked at the garden. Zhuang Fanxin was wandering among the rose bushes with scissors, and had already picked a small bunch. He looked at it for a while, remembered that roses have thorns, and shouted, "Don't tie your hands."
Zhuang Fanxin raised his head upon hearing the sound: "Are you awake? It's still early."
"It's boring to sleep by yourself." Gu Zhuo said without hesitation, "Do you work for our mother early in the morning?"
Who can hold back, Zhuang Fanxin laughed off the scissors: "Our mother is making breakfast, you can go downstairs to eat if you don't sleep."
Gu Zhuoyan hadn't flirted enough, and asked by the window frame, "Why did you choose the suit you made? Do you think the suit you made looks the best?"
Zhuang Fanxin snapped off a flower, and he still had the face to mention it. When he opened the suitcase in the morning, this man surnamed Gu actually brought eight suits and three pairs of leather shoes. He knew that he was going to get married, but he didn't know that he thought he was doing some shopping.
After breakfast, Gu Zhuoyan and Zhuang Fanxin went back to the room to change their clothes, black suit and leather shoes, Gu Zhuoyan skillfully tied a tie, and Zhuang Fanxin tied a romantic knot around his neck. Each of the two roses has a hairpin, and the trimmed one is held in the hand. The petals are layered, blending with the faint scent of perfume on the body.
Only then did Gu Zhuoyan come back to his senses: "...Do I still want to take the bouquet?"
Zhuang Fanxin said, "Yes, I have to drive."
Although it was weird, but Gu Zhuoyan was handsome and suave, holding the bouquet with one hand added to his chicness and coquettishness, he smiled helplessly, he didn't expect to listen to the words of the other half before the marriage was over.
Go to the office to apply for a marriage license, make an appointment in advance, and get the license after submitting the required materials. Afterwards, a notarization ceremony will be carried out. Gu Zhuoyan understands that once the notarization is completed, the two parties will enter into a marriage relationship.
There is a small auditorium near the office, decorated with flowers and pure white cloth, surrounded by lawns, very quiet, no bands and guests, only the priest who notarized the marriage, Gu Zhuoyan and Zhuang Fanxin two people.
Walking towards the entrance, Gu Zhuoyan said, "I thought it was just a notarization ceremony at the office."
The pastor in front turned back and smiled at him, saying in English, this place was prepared by your lover in advance, and it is only used for your wedding. Gu Zhuoyan thought that something was wrong with his hearing, he turned his face to look at Zhuang Fanxin, a little unbelievable.
Zhuang Fanxin said softly: "So let you hold the bouquet well."
Gu Zhuoyan asked, "When did you prepare?"
Zhuang Fanxin replied: "Before returning to China in early August." The venue was decided by him, he designed it himself, arranged it himself, and even walked the carpet rehearsal alone. He didn't have the face to say it, but he stretched out his hand and grabbed Gu Zhuoyan's palm.
"Be prepared to get married before proposing, aren't you afraid that I will refuse?"
"You have the right to refuse before the pastor asks a question." Zhuang Fanxin said, "But I hope you say, I am willing."
Already at the entrance of the auditorium, there is a carpet under their feet, a flower arch above their heads, and their fingers are clasped. They stepped into the auditorium, which is also a palace of marriage. As a pair of comrades, a couple of twists and turns for ten years.
There are no flickering candles, only the dappled sunlight coming in, and there is no musical accompaniment, only each other's footsteps can be heard. Gu Zhuoyan and Zhuang Fanxin walked up to the stage hand in hand, and stood side by side, like waiting for a bus outside the subway line with their schoolbags on their backs, like watching the scenery in the corridor outside the classroom, like stopping outside the courthouse, welcoming together the clear light after thousands of sails have passed .
Now, they faced the priest on the stage, and their eyes touched the marriage certificate that was about to be notarized.
It is a passage that is not unfamiliar, but it is a passage that many people will never hear in their lifetime, and it is also a passage that many people promise but cannot do.
The pastor read the words piously, but he didn't know that the two had made a promise for a lifetime as early as their teenage years.
The vacant ten years were once gloomy, but they were finally illuminated brightly and warmly, without the slightest haze or concealment. They walked alone, and then formed a pair, holding hands, and stepped into the siege like a dream.
"I am willing." It was Gu Zhuoyan who said first, so heavy, hiding the shock in his heart.
Zhuang Fanxin also said: "I am willing." Gently, he couldn't hide the trembling at the end.
The notarization was completed, the marriage certificate was handed over to them, and the pastor congratulated them. Zhuang Fan accepted it heartily, and leaned sideways on Gu Zhuoyan's chest, he raised his face and nodded, his thin lips touched each other, and the roses on his lapel were also intimately together.
In a certain month of a certain year, flash back to this moment.
"Fan Xin." Gu Zhuo said.
"We'll be together forever." Zhuang Fanxin said.