CH 34
Tao Xi didn’t know that his achievements had caused a stir in Qingshui County.
The principal of Qingshui No.1 High School excitedly pulled a banner of warm celebration and hung it on the school gate. Some students who had a negative attitude towards the live class were inspired to start attending classes seriously, and all the students were devoted to live class study, keeping exactly the same learning pace as Wenhua No.1 High School.
While the principal had seen the glorious future of education in Qingshui County, Tao Xi was very confused about his own romantic future.
Since knowing that Qiao Yitang and Lin Qinhe knew each other, Tao Xi did not dare to seek her out to continue asking questions about how to chase people.
But he remembered that Qiao Yitang had told him that once he found out that the person he liked might like him too, he could find a time to confess his feelings.
As a result, he was dizzy every day in the uncertain ambiguity, swaying between “he seemed to like me” and “he didn’t seem to like me”.
Secret love might be like this, sometimes bright, sometimes dark, sometimes sunny and sometimes rainy.
Tao Xi did not go to Qiao Yitang, but Qiao Yitang took the initiative to find the door.
Qiao Yitang found the classroom and called Tao Xi out to the back door of the second grade classroom. When she saw Lin Qinhe in the last row looking at her, she pulled Tao Xi a little farther away and told him about a charity art exhibition.
On Sunday, the Wenhua Art Museum would hold a large-scale charity painting exhibition, and Qiao Henian, as the former chairman of the Wenhua Calligraphy and Painting Association, was naturally invited to participate. The old man ignored the organizer’s naysayers and insisted on securing two booths for his granddaughter and only student, although the location was not very good
“Don’t be embarrassed. It’s affirmation to be slammed by a professional painter. Just join in the fun. I think you can hand in the oil painting you finished last time. It fits the theme of this charity exhibition.”
While talking, Qiao Yitang glanced at the turquoise stone on Tao Xi’s wrist and smiled meaningfully.
She grew up not knowing how many small and large painting exhibitions she had participated in, and had long been accustomed to them, but this charity exhibition was indeed a rare opportunity. Many young painters had scrambled to show their paintings, and even if they could not make a name for themselves, they could take the opportunity to meet more people.
Tao Xi agreed after thinking about it. He was not interested in making a name for himself or meeting people, but he heard that the proceeds from the sale of paintings at this exhibition would be used as charitable donations for school in mountains, which he found very meaningful.
After confirming to participate in the exhibition, the first thing Tao Xi did was to go back to the classroom to find Lin Qinhe.
He wanted to invite Lin Qinhe to the exhibition to see his paintings.
But when he really arrived in front of Lin Qinhe, he was inevitably a little nervous and rushed. He lay on his desk with his hands under his chin, looking at Lin Qinhe eagerly and asking:
“Do you have time on Sunday afternoon?”
He did not open his mouth to invite, afraid that he was directly rejected.
Lin Qinhe said, “I have something on Sunday.”
On Sunday, his cousin Lin Jixuan left her son Tang Nan to him, and she and her husband went on vacation. He missed it last time, this time it was not good to cancel it again.
Lin Qinhe looked at Tao Xi’s bright and dark eyes and asked, “Why are you asking this question?”
Tao Xi hurriedly shook his head and said, “Nothing, just asking.” Then he looked down and took out the textbook for the next class from the drawer.
Since Lin Qinhe had something to do then forget it, there was nothing good about his paintings anyway.
He put the textbook on the desk, spread it out and looked down absent-mindedly.
Although he said to himself that it was nothing, he couldn’t help but be a little disappointed.
As soon as the club activities ended on Sunday, Qiao Yitang ran back to his grandfather’s house with Tao Xi to make preparations.
Tao Xi thought Qiao Yitang was going to prepare for the painting exhibition, but it turned out that the lady was going to put on makeup and dress up, so he was waiting boringly in the living room and teased Qiao Henian’s new parrot.
That parrot probably learned from Qiao Henian, and kept calling out: “Stinky girl! Falling in love again! Falling in love again!”
Tao Xi was happy, fed the parrot some food, and the parrot squawked more happily.
It was half an hour before Qiao Yitang came downstairs wearing a small dress and stepping on high heels. She made a pistol gesture to the parrot and pulled up Tao Xi’s arm and said, “Let’s go, sister will dress you up.”
Tao Xi was taken aback, looking at Qiao Yitang’s almost unrecognizable face, his head shook quickly: “No, no, you* let me go.”
“No, you look like a junior high school student. When you stand there there is no momentum, do not worry, I won’t apply makeup, just a change of clothes.”
Qiao Yitang kindly pushed Tao Xi into the guest room, throwing a brand new black suit and a pair of leather shoes, then closed the door.
Boys were quick when changing clothes. Before Qiao Yitang and her boyfriend had finished talking on the phone, the door of the guest room opened. She looked over with her phone and was stunned.
Tao Xi was messing around with his cuffs at a loss. This small suit from a major brand had a simple but well-cut style, lining the already slim person’s long leg and thin waist. There was a kind of noble and youthful spirit that she couldn’t say.
There was also an illusion that this teenager was from a superior background.
The boyfriend on the phone is pushing her, Qiao Yitang said in a good mood: “Don’t urge, I will find the beautiful brother in front of me to fall in love.” Then snapped the phone and hung up.
Tao Xi suddenly raised his head to look at Qiao Yitang when he heard the words, his expression a little frightened.
Qiao Yitang laughed out loud and said in her heart that I would not dare. She looked around Tao Xi a few times and kept nodding before saying: “This set of clothes is really good, it’s true that people look good in anything.”
Tao Xi was accustomed to wearing school uniforms, and asked uncomfortably, “Xue jie, why do you have boys’ clothes?” And it fit him perfectly.
Qiao Yitang said in a perfunctory tone: “I have a cousin who is about the same height and skinny as you. This is the clothes he bought but never wore so I lent it to you.”
Tao Xi nodded and said thank you, thinking that he must be more careful not to get his clothes dirty.
The two people were almost ready. Qiao Yitang double-checked their makeup in the mirror, and then walked downstairs with Tao Xi. Before he reached the first floor, he heard the doorbell.
Tao Xi saw that it was inconvenient for Qiao Yitang to step on high heels, so he walked quickly to open the door.
The door opened, and the clear sky outside instantly spread out. Tao Xi couldn’t help but squint his eyes.
He saw Lin Qinhe looking at him in the sunny light.
The feeling at that moment was indescribable, as if the whole world was overexposed, only the person in front of him was clear and bright.
It was so bright that he couldn’t move his eyes.
When he looked at Lin Qinhe, he didn’t know what expression he should put on his face or what words to say, only the joy and heartbeat that steamed up in his eyes and the corners of his mouth could not be hidden.
“In love again! In love again! In love again!” The parrot suddenly started yelling.
Tao Xi suddenly recovered, feeling a little embarrassed, and quickly stepped back a few steps, welcoming Lin Qinhe in. Clenching his fingers, he asked in a whisper.
“Don’t you have something to do on Sunday? Why are you here?”
Lin Qinhe walked into the door, looked down at Tao Xi calmly, his eyes went from the slightly pink cheeks to the thin narrow waist, then to the slender straight legs, then fell back to the pair of slightly twinkling eyes. He said flatly.
“There’s something. So I came over.”
Tao Xi felt that Lin Qinhe’s gaze made him a little hot in the face, and was about to ask what the matter was, when another little boy of five or six year old rushed in at the door, fluttering his arms and bumping into Lin Qinhe’s legs.
“Aw–” Tang Nan covered his nose in pain, raised his head and glared at his uncle with anger. He rolled his eyes and saw Tao Xi . His eyes lit up and he wowed, “Good-looking gege. ” Then he ran over and hugged Tao Xi’s leg.
Tao Xi was a little at a loss, bending down to look at the little boy on his lap, neither hugging nor driving him away.
Qiao Yitang stepped on high heels and saw this scene, laughed and said, “Oh, the little one and the big one are just the same.”
Lin Qinhe took a look at Qiao Yitang. Picking up Tang Nan’s arm and pulling him from Tao Xi’s leg, he threw him aside and said to Tao Xi, “This is my nephew. It may be a bit annoying, sorry.”
Tang Nan was furious, and hurriedly blinked at Tao Xi and said, “Gege, don’t listen to uncle’s nonsense, I’m not annoying at all.”
Tao Xi couldn’t help but smile when he looked at the little one and the big one.
Qiao Yitang said happily, “Nan Nan, this is your uncle’s classmate. Don’t mess up the seniority.”
Tang Nan didn’t like this big sister who always likes to rub his face, and didn’t understand the seniority. He just wanted to lean over to Tao Xi, shouting gege.
But his uncle Lin Qinhe always carried him away with one hand before he could hug his legs.
“Are you going to the art exhibition with us?” Tao Xi asked Lin Qinhe with a smile on his lips, his eyes flashing with uncontrollable joy.
His secret love suddenly turned clear after a few days of rain, and the sky burst. It was almost certain that Lin Qinhe liked him.
Lin Qinhe lifted Tang Nan away again, nodded and said, “Take him to the exhibition to cultivate his artistic cells.”
Tang Nan was held by one arm and finally woke up: “Uncle, you lied to me again? Where is the arcade?”
Qiao Yitang rubbed Tang Nan’s face and said with affection, “Nan Nan, you are still too young.”
Tang Nan walked out of the gate in despair and went to sit in the garden, sulking.
Qiao Yitang was about to say let’s go when she suddenly remembered that she had forgotten her perfume, and after a few words, she walked upstairs again.
Only Tao Xi and Lin Qinhe were left in the living room, and a parrot that finally closed its mouth.
The atmosphere suddenly calmed down, as quiet as a soft and dense pool of water.
Tao Xi’s previous calmness ran clean. He glanced at Lin Qinhe at first, then suddenly averted his gaze, but didn’t know where to put his gaze, so he lowered his head and fiddled with the cufflinks he hadn’t buttoned just now.
“Come here.” Lin Qinhe said to him suddenly.
Tao Xi’s heart jumped, maybe it was too quiet, but he actually felt that Lin Qinhe’s voice was lower than usual, which made him a little itchy.
He bowed his head and walked to Lin Qinhe.
Lin Qinhe stretched out his hand to hold his wrist, lifted it up, and started to button the shiny cufflinks slowly, the cufflinks flickering in the flick of his fingertips.
Tao Xi breathed very lightly, staring at the button and Lin Qinhe’s slender finger, the tips of his ears were inexplicably hot.
After the button was fastened, Tao Xi actually felt a sense of relief, and the agitated heart calmed a little bit. He raised his head and said softly to Lin Qinhe, “Thank you.”
Lin Qinhe looked at him. His gaze slowly moved down and then fell on the side of his neck. He whispered to him: “Turn around.”
Tao Xi was startled, and turned back obediently to Lin Qinhe.
Then he felt a hand smoothing his shirt collar, and he obediently bowed his neck and lowered his head slightly, exposing the back of his neck and collar in full.
The old room was so quiet that you could hear the sound of fingertips rubbing the fabric of the collar, but the hand suddenly touched the weak and sensitive skin of the back of his neck gently between movements.
Tao Xi couldn’t help but tremble. Obviously he couldn’t see it, but he actually felt inexplicably as if a line of sight was actually falling on the back of his neck. This feeling made his cheeks hot irresistibly.
The pulse on the wrist was beating, the heart in the chest was beating, and the arteries in the neck were beating, as if the whole world was beating incessantly.
The time seems to be short and long. After finally finishing up, Tao Xi turned around and said “thank you” to Lin Qinhe again, but this time the voice was lower than last time.
He casted his trembling gaze with nowhere to go to the corner of the living room, just to meet the parrot’s gaze.
The parrot tilted his head to look at him, making him feel a guilty conscience.
When Qiao Yitang packed her cosmetics and perfume and went downstairs, she felt that the atmosphere in the living room on the first floor was a bit strange. She first looked at Tao Xi and found that the boy, who was even more beautiful today, had wet eyes and slightly red cheeks.
She suddenly looked at Lin Qinhe aside suspiciously, the old friend’s expression was still indifferent and calm, and there was no flaw at all.
Qiao Yitang glanced at the parrot in the corner of the living room again, wishing the parrot to tell her what happened here just now.
But the parrot did not understand and began to scold her at the top of its lungs.
“In love again! In love again! In love again!”
Qiao Yitang hit the parrot twice with the pistol gesture, and said to the two: “It’s getting late, let’s take the kid Tang Nan and go!”
Once other people were there, Tao Xi instantly felt that he was more natural. He walked out the door with the two of them. Lin Qinhe walked into the garden and relentlessly lifted Tang Nan, who was squatting on the ground with a branch and poking in the mud. Tang Nan flapped his wings like a chicken, shouting “gege help” to Tao Xi.
Tao Xi laughed and couldn’t help but say to Lin Qinhe. “Lin Qinhe, you be gentle with the little children.”
Qiao Yitang sarcastically said, “Will he be gentle with others?”
Lin Qinhe let go of Tang Nan’s hand and glanced at Tao Xi in silence.
Tao Xi again had an inexplicable sense of weakness.