As soon as Ning Bei got home, he saw Ning Nan rolling on the sofa laughing hysterically.
He turned a blind eye and walked into his bedroom with a cold face.
With a bang, the bedroom door closed.
Ning Nan was still on the sofa laughing until he couldn’t get up.
It was so wonderful, he had a great viewing of this iconic scene from the second floor, and he planned to keep it carefully and take it out for recollection from time to time in the future.
Ning Bei, who was complacent one second that he was a puppy in Sweet Love, turned into a single dog known as the “brother next door” the next second.
Ning Nan has never seen such a quick reversal of face slap in his life.
But after laughing enough, Ning Nan restrained the corners of his mouth and walked to the door of Ning Bei’s bedroom.
After all, he is still Ning Bei’s brother, so it is still necessary to console his little brother.
He pushed open the door, and just as he was about to go in, he saw Ning Bei lying on his back on the floor like a stray dog.
With blank eyes as if there is nothing to live for.
Ning Nan frowned.
He knew that Ning Bei must be very sad now, but it really shouldn’t be like this, it’s outrageous.
Ning Nan walked to Ning Bei’s side, folded his arms and said, “Is it that unbearable?”
Ning Bei didn’t respond.
Ning Nan looked at him: “But what Nan Xia said is correct, you are her neighbor’s younger brother.”
Ning Bei still didn’t respond.
Ning Nan chuckled, “If you want me to say, it’s because your attitude. You like Nan Xia and run around her like a puppy, but you can’t ask others to reciprocate your feelings, right?”
“I didn’t ask her to respond to my feelings, but…but…” Ning Bei almost choked up.
Seeing that he still didn’t give up, Ning Nan couldn’t help kicking him.
“But who told you to act like a dog around her. Can it be equal between people and dogs?”
Ning Bei heard these words in his ears, but he couldn’t fully understand and agree with them.
But he probably understood that what Ning Nan meant was that there was no equality between him and Nan Xia, it was his wishful thinking.
Ning Bei closed his eyes and stayed silent, he felt that Ning Nan didn’t understand what happened between him and Nan Xia at all, but what happened just now, Ning Bei himself couldn’t understand.
After a while, Ning Nan heard him say coldly, “Never again.”
Ning Nan chuckled.
“I wish you really understood.”
After he finished speaking, he was just about to lift his feet to leave the bedroom when he suddenly heard a very cheerful and soft cell phone ringtone.
Ning Nan remembered that Ning Bei’s cell phone ringtone had always been the original default ringtone… his doubts were immediately answered when he saw Ning Bei suddenly opened his eyes.
Alright, he even assigned an exclusive ringtone for her.
He stopped in his tracks to see how this Ning Bei, who had just vowed not to be a dog, would do.
Ning Bei laid on the ground, under Ning Nan’s fiery gaze he held himself back for one extra second.
But only for one second.
In the next second, Ning Bei quickly got up from the ground and ran to the mobile phone on the bed.
Ning Nan followed him with puzzled eyes, Ning Bei came over and pushed him to the door indifferently, dropping a word,
“Scram.”
Ning Nan: “…”
The bedroom door slammed shut, and Ning Bei sat down on the cold floor with the phone in hand. He seemed to have reverted back to the old Ning Bei, the Ning Bei who leaned against the door and silently listened to Nan Xia talking in the living room.
Even though Ning Bei was speaking to Nan Xia at this moment, he still felt like he was in the past when there was a closed door between them, he didn’t know how to get across.
But instinct overcame reason.
Ning Bei answered the phone.
“Xiao Bei, I won’t go to your house for dinner today.” Nan Xia said apologetically, “There is something wrong with the restaurant we reserved for our high school reunion, we have to go and deal with it now.”
Ning Bei clearly heard her say “we”.
She is going out with her high school classmate.
Ning Bei hung his head between his knees and closed his eyes. He actually knew that he should have said “Got it”, and at most added “Be careful on the road”.
He should have ended this conversation.
But at some point, a clump of flames burst out in his heart, burning his heart, making him unable and unwilling to let go completely like this.
“Nan Xia.” He called out.
The other end of the phone was obviously quiet for a moment, “What’s the matter, Xiao Bei.”
Ning Bei buried his eyes in the palm of his hand, he couldn’t see anything, so he seemed to be fearless.
“Let me go with you. We can eat outside at noon.”
“We might be eating a little later than usual.”
“It’s okay, I’ll wait for you. I’ll go downstairs now.”
After Ning Bei finished speaking, he hung up the phone.
When he walked out of the bedroom, Ning Nan asked him where he was going. Ning Bei lowered his head to put on his shoes, and said in a deep voice, “Go out for lunch.”
Ning Nan was about to speak again when he suddenly saw Ning Bei look up at him: “Brother, I know.”
Ning Bei pocketed his keys and mobile phone, and paused a second after pushing the door out, “This is the last time.”
When he went downstairs, Nan Xia was still talking to that man. Ning Bei walked to Nan Xia’s side.
“Let’s go.”
Nan Xia was slightly taken aback.
She looked sideways at Ning Bei, under the bright sunlight, his face looked too fair, even pale.
He didn’t look at her when he spoke, but bent down slightly and looked at the ground in front of him.
The black eyelashes cast a shadow under the eyes, but it could not conceal the chillness in his voice.
“Xiao Bei, are you feeling well?” Nan Xia asked beside him.
Ning Bei turned his head to look at her, shook his head, and said nothing.
“It’s fine for Chen Fei and I to go, why don’t I go to your house for dinner tonight?” Nan Xia faintly sensed that Ning Bei was unhappy because of what happened just now, so she didn’t want Ning Bei to follow her like this.
She seemed to have complicated things.
Originally, she had planned to let things develop because Nan Xia did find that she had some special feelings for Ning Bei. But now, she wants to stop the loss in time. She wants to keep a proper distance when she can’t give Ning Bei a clear response yet, but just the words “neighbor’s younger brother” had caused Ning Bei to react like this.
Nan Xia’s eyes turned back to the front, she folded her arms unconsciously, and her face became serious.
She is different from Ning Bei.
It’s not that Nan Xia can’t accept falling in love with Ning Bei, but if she and Ning Bei are together now, then Nan Xia can guarantee that she can only give three points of her true feelings, and the remaining seven points will depend on whether she gets along with him.
After all, she is not eighteen years old anymore, she was different from the childlike Ning Bei who loses his mind when it comes to love.
In Nan Xia’s world view, love is a matter of trial and error, to determine whether the two parties are suitable. And if the final result is not satisfactory, there is no need to be too sad. After all, there was a happy time, and when we broke up, we should wish each other happiness peacefully and rationally.
But if that other person was Ning Bei…
Nan Xia silently turned her head and glanced at Ning Bei who was walking beside her, keeping Chen Fei far away.
He is like a flame.
Even though he was walking beside her with a cold and a silent expression, Nan Xia could clearly perceive that Ning Bei was a ball of flame.
And that flame will either burn indulgently or gets completely extinguished.
If he loves someone, he will not leave any room for it.
Nan Xia felt an unspeakable burning in her heart, but it was followed by cold vigilance.
She has to be cautious; she doesn’t want to hurt Ning Bei.
The three of them walked to the restaurant very quickly. The boss came out and explained that there were too many reservations made for that day and he accidentally put in another reservation to their time, and asked if they could change the time slot.
Nan Xia and Chen Fei followed the boss inside to re-select the time, but Ning Bei said he will wait for them outside the door.
Nan Xia asked him if he would like come in to sit and wait, but Ning Bei was unwilling.
Annoyed for no reason in her heart, Nan Xia told him patiently,, “It’s hot outside, just sit on the sofa inside for a while, we’ll be there soon.”
Ning Bei still shook his head.
He was being unreasonably stubborn.
Nan Xia pursed her lips lightly, and then saw that there was not much traffic here, so she told him not to run around and be careful, and then turned around and went in.
While reserving the new time slot with Chen Fei in the restaurant, Nan Xia was a little absent-minded.
She knew that Ning Bei is also an adult, and nothing will happen if he waits outside for a while. But on the other hand, she also clearly felt that Ning Bei was angry.
He insisted on following her stubbornly, but he couldn’t hide the anger in his heart.
He could only punish himself in this way, but it also made Nan Xia feel uneasy.
Inside the restaurant, Chen Fei and Nan Xia called their classmates one by one to ask if the new time was suitable. When Nan Xia made the third call, she couldn’t sit still.
“I have to do something; I’ll be back later.” Nan Xia whispered to Chen Fei’s, then stood up and walked out.
Outside the transparent gate, there are only passing vehicles and pedestrians.
Nan Xia didn’t see Ning Bei and for the first time, felt flustered. She hurried forward and pushed open the door, calling out “Ning Bei——”
Looking sideways, she saw Ning Bei who was standing under the shade of a tree not far away turned his head.
Under the dim shadow, his white T-shirt was blown up by the wind, outlining Ning Bei’s tall but slightly thin figure. The black bangs slightly covered the sharp single eyelid, making his gaze become somewhat distant.
He stood there quietly and did not run to her side like before.
Just stood in the distance.
Nan Xia’s heartbeat accelerated as if she lacked oxygen, and then she also felt a slight loss.
But she quickly adjusted herself.
“Is it hot?” She walked towards Ning Bei, “Just come in with me.”
Ning Bei still shook his head, “Are you done?”
Nan Xia resisted the irritability in her heart: “No, it will take a while.”
“No.” He still persistently refused.
“Come in, it’s not safe outside with all the cars coming and going.”
“Don’t want.”
The smile on Nan Xia’s face finally disappeared, she looked up at Ning Bei.
The wind passed between them, taking away the oxygen they needed to breathe.
The atmosphere became suffocating, making one wants to flee. She asked clearly, “Ning Bei, are you punishing yourself or me?”
Ning Bei lowered his eyes; Nan Xia’s nose was stained with a thin layer of sweat. At this moment, her eyes were no longer soft as before, but completely cold.
Ning Bei’s heart began to bleed, but he knew in his heart that this was also the last time.
“Punishing myself,” he said.
“Then why did you follow me here?” Nan Xia questioned him, “If you’re punishing yourself, why do you have to follow me here, why do you have to make me feel so uncomfortable?”
Ning Bei was stunned for a moment, and then his heart began to hurt like it was getting stabbed by a knife.
He didn’t do it on purpose, he didn’t mean to make Nan Xia feel uncomfortable.
He just instinctively wanted to stay by Nan Xia’s side, but he didn’t expect to make Nan Xia feel uncomfortable.
“…Why did you follow me?” Ning Bei repeated in a murmur.
In an instant, his eyes began to burn, and he could no longer look directly at Nan Xia.
Ning Bei lowered his head.
Almost instantly, Nan Xia regretted it.
Why was she taking her anger out on Ning Bei; what is she doing?
What kind of answer did she hope Ning Bei would give her?
Nan Xia took a breath silently, she calmed herself down and was about to comfort Ning Bei and apologize to him, but saw Ning Bei suddenly raised his head and looked at her again.
His gaze became very cold, and it seemed as if he was taking a last stand.
The voice was slow and clear, and it rang in Nan Xia’s ears:
“Because I’m cheap.”
Nan Xia froze in shock.
Ning Bei slowly approached Nan Xia, and poured out everything as if giving up on himself: “Why did I follow you? Why did I insist on following you when you clearly said that I was only the younger brother of your neighbor? Nan Xia, didn’t I make it clear enough? I’m cheap, I’m just a dog by your side. When you wave, I run over without a soul, but when you say you don’t want me anymore, I don’t even have the courage to turn around and leave. “
Ning Bei completely lost his mind; his body felt cold and hot all over.
He couldn’t stop his eyes from becoming redder, and his voice began to tremble, “Nan Xia, I also don’t know why I followed you here. I thought I was already eighteen years old and could appear by your side, so I followed you. Tell me, when should I appear by your side? When I was seventeen, sixteen, fifteen or fourteen? I can’t appear when you have a boyfriend, I can’t appear when I’m underage, then Nan Xia, tell me, when can I appear by your side, when can I become more than just a dog that come and go with your command?”
Ning Bei’s voice was like a slap in Nan Xia’s heart, she doesn’t even dare to analyze the meaning of what he just said.
“…Seventeen years old, sixteen years old, fifteen years old…what do you mean?”
Ning Bei let out a low laughter, as if he had surrendered.
“Every Spring Festival you will come to my house to sit for a while. Last year, you told my parents that you performed very well that year and won the highest company year-end award. The year before that, you said that the competition in your new company was very fierce, but fortunately your colleagues are very friendly. The year before that, you were just about to graduate from university, and you asked Ning Nan about finding a job, and the year before, you said that you would travel to Dali with your classmates during the winter vacation…”
The noise on the side of the road became far away, Nan Xia forgot how long she hadn’t taken a breath.
The Ning Bei that was in front of her seemed to have become another person. He cut open his heart and spread its bloody parts in front of her.
As if showing her: Nan Xia, this is the real Ning Bei.
The Ning Bei who loved you for so many years but dared not say anything.
And now, if you want, you can easily destroy him.
“…Nan Xia, that’s it.” Ning Bei raised his hands to cover his eyes, and slowly backed away.
Then, he looked at Nan Xia again, “I’m leaving now, I won’t bother you again.”
Chen Fei’s voice also came from the door of the restaurant at this time: “Xia Xia, what’s wrong?”
Ning Bei turned around quickly, he doesn’t want to hear the voice of either Nan Xia or Chen Fei.
The howling wind passed by his ears, and he heard Nan Xia calling his name.
Ning Bei didn’t stop.
However, in the next second, he heard Nan Xia shouting behind him:
“Puppy.”
His eyes became moist immediately, and the tears he held back became uncontrollable the moment he turned his back towards Nan Xia.
“Puppy.” Nan Xia ran to Ning Bei’s side and held his hand tightly. Ning Bei stopped, but he refused to look back at her.
Nan Xia walked in front of Ning Bei.
It was the first time she saw Ning Bei like this, the first time she saw Ning Bei talking loudly to her in such a “hysterical” way, and it was also the first time she knew the secret that Ning Bei had kept in his heart for so many years.
“Ning Bei.” Nan Xia called his name.
Ning Bei lowered his head and still refused to look at her.
Nan Xia held his head with both hands, and gently wiped the moisture from his eyes with her thumbs.
Her action contained a kind of tenderness that is almost doting.
Ning Bei trembled all over, and looked up at Nan Xia in disbelief.
It’s hard to speak up.
At this time, Nan Xia felt that not all actions must have the most logical reasons.
It was as if she had just decided not to give Ning Bei such hopeless expectations, but now, Nan Xia regretted it.
She gently rubbed Ning Bei’s cheek with her thumb.
He lowered his head, allowing her movements.
“Puppy.” Nan Xia uttered softly.
Although Ning Bei didn’t respond out loud, his eyes were already looking forward to her next words.
“Let’s go home.”
Ning Bei froze in place, and after a long while, he muttered, “Chen Fei…”
“Jiejie doesn’t want to be a rational Nan Xia today.”
She slowly moved her fingers to Ning Bei’s lips, tracing his cool and soft lips.
It was like asking, trying to figure out, also feels like an invitation.
The air became very quiet, and Nan Xia’s gaze boundlessly enveloped and melted Ning Bei.