1、001 英文版 ...
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Chapter 1
“The hell’s wrong with you? Blind or something?”
A sharp shout exploded in the air, drawing stares from every passerby.
“Sorry, sorry.”
Shi Yi lowered the brim of his cap, hiding from the curious, judgmental eyes, and fled in a ragged hurry.
It was the height of summer. The air hummed with scorching restlessness; visible waves of heat rolled over one another without end.
He didn’t know how long he ran with his head down — until his whole body sweated through, until his head spun — before he ducked into a quiet, narrow alley. He leaned against a concrete wall, bent over, gasping for breath. Just as he started to recover, a dry, sharp cough racked his throat.
He crouched down, dazed. The sun had heated his cap until it burned; the heat seeped through the fabric into his scalp, but he felt nothing, his gaze empty and distant.
Pathetic, he thought.
Chased away like a stray dog. He’d only been trying to find a job, yet every company he approached treated him like garbage, snarling insults as if he were dirt on their shoes.
Shi Yi squatted until his legs went numb, then pushed himself up against the wall. When the tingling faded, he took a step — pain shot through his feet like stepping on thorns. He hesitated for a moment, then kept walking.
109 Gulin Road.
He dragged his exhausted body up to the third floor, pulled out his key, slid it into the lock, turned, and pulled the door open in one smooth motion.
He kicked off his shoes, then habitually glanced toward the sofa. Just as he expected, his younger brother was curled up there, some soap opera playing in the background.
The actors’ hoarse, screaming cries grated on his nerves. His lips moved, but he said nothing, and walked straight into his room.
His brother’s name was Shi Qi, twenty-two years old — once the youngest genius doctoral student at a top university, with a future full of promise. Then he fell for a bastard named Feng Yi. They dated for three months, and Shi Qi had given him his whole heart.
Only for that bastard to dump him, saying he’d gotten bored, and tossed him a few thousand yuan as if it were charity.
After that, his brother had fallen apart completely.
Shi Yi understood him all too well.
Five years ago, he’d fallen for someone too. Before he could even confess, someone had sabotaged him — drugged him, somehow. He’d woken up in bed with the person he liked. The whole thing had been filmed and posted on the school’s confession wall. By the next morning, everyone knew.
His parents had found out somehow, rushed to the school, and pulled him out immediately.
They’d probably given up on both of them for good. Three years ago, they moved out and cut ties entirely.
Shi Yi unlocked his phone, opened his photo album, and let his finger rest on a picture. The background was a clear, bright blue sky, and two young, vibrant boys were pressed close together.
The one on the left, smiling shyly, was him.
The one on the right — a little taller, making a peace sign over his head, one arm wrapped around him — was...
Shi Yi’s fingertip brushed the photo softly, his eyes dimming. He whispered, almost soundlessly:
“Bai Jici.”
He stayed cooped up inside for days, until the food ran out. With no other choice, he forced himself out and into a popular supermarket. He grabbed a few dishes he and his brother liked, more out of habit than care, dropped them into a plastic bag, and headed for the checkout.
He waited patiently for the elderly customers ahead of him to pay, scanned his items with his phone, and left.
Shi Yi flipped open the back of his electric scooter, stuffed the groceries inside, and stepped around a manhole cover on the ground. He was about to get on when a familiar voice cut through the air:
“Shi Yi?”
作者有话说
第1章 001