i loved you so much

Chapter 3
The days of waiting for the stitches to be removed in the hospital were extremely difficult, and it seemed like years. When she saw the light again, An Xiaoduo's mood, which had been gloomy for a long time, finally cleared up.

The doctor was still telling her what she needed to pay attention to after she was discharged from the hospital. She sat on the edge of the bed, listening absent-mindedly, and nodded from time to time to show that she had listened.

As soon as the doctor left, she couldn't wait to open a black backpack and put her belongings into it—in fact, she didn't have much to pack.She left Li Xiao'an two years ago, and left in a very hasty manner, taking only a few belongings with her. In the past two years, she traveled to many places, and she didn't have any external possessions. Except for the most basic daily necessities and a few clothes, there was only one A pair of AKG earphones was given to her by Li Xiaoan two years ago. The sound quality is so good that it is impeccable. It looks old because of too frequent use. She has to use it to listen to music every night to sleep peacefully.

Quickly tidied up, she settled the medical expenses, and hailed a taxi at the entrance of the hospital.After reporting the destination, she took out her mobile phone and called the agency.Two days ago, she accidentally mentioned to Cheng Minyu that she wanted to rent a house, and Cheng Minyu enthusiastically introduced a friend who was a real estate agent to her.

An Xiaoduo arrived at the gate of the agreed community, and when she got out of the car, she saw a young man in a short-sleeved white shirt, black pants, and tie waving at her.

"You are Mr. Liu?" she asked.

"You can just call me Xiao Liu, Miss An, I'm so sorry, the small apartment I told you the day before yesterday was rented out, can I show you another house? It's still in that neighborhood, and the conditions are better than the previous one .”

An Xiaoduo thought about another question: "What about the rent? How much is it expensive?"

"It's 300 yuan more expensive, and it's also a single apartment. The area is a little bigger than the previous one. It has a living room and a bedroom, with a separate kitchenette and bathroom. It is fully furnished and home appliances, and you can move in with your bags. Since you are a friend of Sister Cheng, I won't draw any commission, it's purely to help my friends, don't rush to make a decision, I'll take you to see the house."

An Xiaoduo's request was actually not high, so she just asked for a shelter from the wind and rain. The house that Xiao Liu took her to see was good, but the rent was also quite expensive. She hesitated, and discussed with Xiao Liu: "Yes. Only deposit one month's rent? You said you would deposit one quarter, but I'm short on money now, so I'm afraid I won't be able to get it out."

"This..." Xiao Liu thought about it, "How about this, I'll call right away and discuss it with the head of the household, just wait a moment."

"Okay." An Xiaoduo took advantage of his phone calls, opened the glass door of the small balcony, and went out to see the outside environment.

A few minutes later, Xiao Liu came over: "Miss An, the head of the household has agreed, do you have your ID card? If so, we can sign the contract later."

An Xiaoduo nodded, took out her ID card and handed it to him.

Xiao Liu was quite efficient in handling affairs, and even cleaned the floor for her before leaving.An Xiaoduo cleaned the small sofa, sat on it and looked around. Given her current financial situation, it seemed a more sensible choice to rent a small single room of 300 yuan in the urban-rural zone far away from the city. Picking up the wallet on the table, he counted the few banknotes inside again.

The phone rang, and it was Qiao Ke who called. She put the banknotes back and picked it up. Qiao Ke didn't know about her leaving the hospital without permission. Are you so worried about me?"

Qiao Ke had mentioned to her before that he could live with him first after he was discharged from the hospital. He had a two-bedroom apartment in the east of the city, which he bought with a mortgage two years ago.Of course An Xiaoduo refused, she didn't insist on it, but she came to this move first to kill and then to play.

"I think it's better this way," she explained.

Qiao Ke hung up the phone without saying a word.

I haven't been back for two years. The city has not changed much, and it is still as prosperous as before.Probably because of the weekend, there were so many pedestrians on the road, An Xiaoduo came out of the business hall of the communication company, passed by Paris Spring and thought of buying some basic make-up, so she walked in, the air-conditioning rushed into the neckline, and she got goose bumps all over her body. Some are not used to it.

Walking to the counter, the beauty consultant asked her politely what she needed. She thought for a while and said, "Foundation foundation."

She seldom puts on makeup on weekdays. Li Xiaoan likes her appearance without makeup, but it is different now. She knows that her condition has not been as good as before in the past two years. She will have an interview in two days. How to meet people?

The beauty consultant looked at her face under the light, took a bottle of liquid foundation from the counter, squeezed a little on the back of her hand, and gently pushed it away: "Your skin is a bit dry, this liquid foundation is relatively thin, Contains high moisturizing ingredients, good extensibility, will not aggravate dry lines, and is very suitable for your skin type."

Seeing that An Xiaoduo didn't express her opinion, she said again: "Well, I'll help you put on a base makeup, how about you feel it?"

An Xiaoduo agreed without being in a hurry.

The beauty consultant took out a small new sponge and began to apply makeup on her. She was professional and skillful, and she finished the base in less than 10 minutes. She also took out a box of powder and used a big brush to finalize the makeup.

"Our series of face powder has a good reputation. This one is pink and has a brightening effect. It was sold out as soon as it went on sale. A new batch arrived yesterday. Your skin is actually very good and delicate. It is Has dryness and dullness issues."

An Xiaoduo glanced at herself in the glasses, and couldn't help but sigh that cosmetics are really good things. The marks left by her forehead from falling before were covered, and her dull face was now radiant, with a pearly luster.

She immediately bought it for a small one thousand. Although the money made her chest tight, but thinking about the upcoming interview, she felt that the money was still worth saving.

As soon as she walked to the door, the mobile phone in the bag rang. Because it was a newly replaced card, all the numbers in the phone book were lost, but she had a good memory, and she knew Chu Kui's number by heart.

When she learned that Chu Kui was also in Wucheng, she was both happy and surprised: "When did you return to China? I don't even know."

"You still have the nerve to say it! I have called you every day for more than a month, and the phone was turned off every time. I almost went to the TV station to post a missing person notice."

"Oh, I lost my mobile phone a few days ago, and I just went to the business hall to get the old number back today. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, where are you now? I'll go find you, and we'll meet and talk."

Chu Kui gave her an address, but the place was a bit far away. She wasn't sure which bus to take to get there. After hesitating for a moment, she decided to take a taxi there. She and Chu Kui had been separated for several years, and she wanted to see this old friend sooner.

The distance is farther than she imagined. She has lived in Wucheng for many years, but she has only set foot in some limited areas. She didn't love this city. The pace of life is too fast, and every adult walks on the road. In a hurry, it seems that there is no time to even take a look at the scenery on the road.In comparison, she prefers her hometown. Small towns have developed well in recent years. Although there are not so many modern high-tech buildings, they have picturesque scenery and pleasant air. The subway is so troublesome.She made up her mind to stay here only after meeting Li Xiaoan. Before that, no matter how her mother educated and enlightened her, she could not dispel her idea of ​​going home after graduation.

Falling in love with a city because of a person - she often saw this sentence in newspapers and periodicals, and agreed with it very much.

When she arrived at her destination, she paid and got off the bus. The fare cost her more than 100 yuan.While lamenting, she followed the house number.

The iron gate outside was wide open, and she walked in without any hindrance. The narrow and long cobblestone path was connected to a lush and lush courtyard, which was not very big. There was a grape trellis on the right, a swing hung on it, and a small stone table next to it. There were several flowerpots beside it, and one of the largest flowerpots was empty, inside which was a black cat sprawling all over, sleeping soundly. Its fur was smooth and smooth, and it shone like black gold in the sun.

Pushing open the wooden door, Chu Kui, who was leaning against the bar, turned around when she heard the sound.

In her opinion, Chu Kui hasn't changed much, not much different from three or four years ago. She still has long, straight black hair like satin, a thin face, wearing tight short T and jeans, and a pair of flip-flops on her feet.

An Xiaoduo's eyes were wet: "Chu Kui—"

With mixed feelings on Chu Kui's face, she seemed to be crying and smiling, and grabbed her shoulders: "Damn girl, I'm so worried about you! Come here and show me if you're fat or thin."

An Xiaoduo responded to her hug with a warm heart.Chu Kui is not only her senior sister in her university, but also her fellow villager. Back then, it was popular to hold fellowship associations in the school. An Xiaoduo found it new in her first year of school, so she went to join in the fun, and finally met Chu Kui, the secretary-general of the student union at the time. She is from the same small southern town as her, and the whole family moved here after graduating from junior high school, so they can be regarded as half of the locals, and they take special care of An Xiaoduo who has just arrived.Chu Kui's personality is the same as her appearance, she has a lot of personality, she only treats people who are pleasing to the eye, according to her own words, "I have liked An Xiaoduo since the first time I saw her", if it wasn't for her She made a boyfriend soon, so maybe someone would think that she has a special interest in An Xiaoduo.

Later An Xiaoduo was expelled from school, and Chu Kui, who was an intern in the UK, was so anxious to buy a plane ticket to fly back to see her, but fortunately she lied to her.

"Chu Kui, you don't need to come back. I have met a noble person. The educated youth who went to the countryside with my mother back then, there is a man named Wang Jianguo. Now he is the leader of the Education Bureau. I will go to him for help, no problem."

Chu Kui didn't come back just now, and An Xiaoduo had already left the campus when she knew the truth.

Sitting around the rattan tea table, Chu Kui pinched An Xiaoduo's pointed chin: "Why are you so thin? How beautiful was the little bun face before."

An Xiaoduo held her hand with a smile, and said nonchalantly, "Eat more and you'll gain weight. It's not easy to be thin, but it's even harder to be fat?"

"You..." Chu Kui glanced at her, "You have been living in that remote village for more than a year, no matter how much I persuade you not to come out, I would like to ask, what have you figured out?"

"It's a resort after all, so why is it so remote? My daily job is to take three or two tourists around to see the scenery. It's easy and paid. It's good."

"Come on, what's wrong with you, a Ph. D. in chemistry? You're so embarrassed to say that you're going to be a little tour guide."

"Only went to Bo Yi, did not graduate, not a Ph.D."

"If it wasn't for what happened to Wu Anna, why would you not be able to graduate." Chu Kui still feels sorry for her, "Look at you, you are young, you have a lot of peach blossoms, what's the use of being beautiful. "

An Xiaoduo said cheerfully, "It's useless."

"Don't smile with me, let me ask you, do you want to get back on track? Or do you plan to continue to escape?"

An Xiaoduo took a sip of tea and said, "Actually, I'm already looking for a job. I submitted a few resumes online and am waiting for news."

Hearing what she said, Chu Kui felt a little relieved: "That's good, what kind of job did you find?"

"Translation, I'm interested in this."

Chu Kui picked up the teapot and refilled it for her: "By the way, have you worked in Shengshi Guangnian before?"

"Splendid Years" is a well-known fashion magazine in China. The magazine was just established a few years ago. Her friend Chi Jiayou, who was also the editor-in-chief of the magazine's editorial department at the time, invited her to join the magazine to work together.At that time, the magazine had a special topic about stray animals, and she was a volunteer at a base that rescued stray animals. She was interested and experienced in this area, so the two hit it off.

"Yeah, why did you mention this all of a sudden?"

"The current editor-in-chief of the magazine is a senior of mine. I returned to China this time because I received his olive branch."

An Xiaoduo was surprised: "You mean you are going to work in Shengshi Guangnian?"

Chu Kui nodded: "I signed a two-year contract with them."

Like An Xiaoduo, she is also a person who does not do business properly. She studied financial management. As a result, she joined a photography club in her freshman year. Learning is so-so, but photography skills are perfect.Not long after working, she resolutely lost her profession and became a freelance photographer, traveling around the world with a camera, and became quite famous in the industry after a few years.

"Shengshi Guangnian has such a great charm to make you give up your freedom?"

"People can't stay the same. After running for so many years, I'm also a little tired. I want to try the [-]-to-[-] lifestyle. Only by comparing can I know which one is more suitable for me, isn't it?"

"It makes sense, I plan to change it too."

"I asked Sheng Shi if there were any job vacancies. You have been there before and know the operation of the magazine well."

"Don't, I like the new environment." An Xiaoduo didn't appreciate it, and explained, "Besides, I know how much I weigh. No matter how hard I try, I will never become a competent editor."

"Didn't you do a good job?"

"That was when I was surrounded by Xiaochi, I didn't need to go to the interviews, I didn't need to go to the entertainment, even the topic selection was up to me. At that time, I only wrote the manuscripts I liked."

Chu Kui laughed: "She really spoils you."

"It's a pity that she is in France now, so she can't get used to me."

"Does she have children?"

"Well, twins were born three months ago."

Chu Kui sighed: "It's great, a man and a woman are just right."

An Xiaoduo looked at her: "If you like you so much, you are born too. When do you plan to marry Yu Zhangwen?"

"With him?" Chu Kui's smile was a little dim, "I broke up with him before returning to China."

An Xiaoduo was taken aback: "What happened? You and him have been together since college. We talked with him for so many years, and now we broke up?"

"His sister can't understand me, and I can't understand his sister either."

"His sister... What does it matter to his sister that you two are together?"

"His sister was in a car accident last year and was paralyzed. Now she lives with him. You know, Yu Zhangwen was brought up by his sister. The combined relationship between him and his dead parents is not as much as his sister. As soon as his sister had an accident, he seemed to be a different person. He was nervous all day long. He was afraid that his sister would fall down and become unconscious at home and no one would take care of him... I advised him that it is a fait accompli, and he should calm down a little. It didn't help, so he quarreled with me, saying that she wasn't my own sister so I didn't care."

"There is such a thing, why didn't you say it earlier?"

"What's the use of telling you, you can't take care of yourself."

"Then that's the way you split it? He agrees?"

Chu Kui was silent for a while, and said: "Xiaoduo, do you think I am very cold-blooded? This should be the time when he needs me the most, but I decided to leave him."

"Chu Kui, you're not that kind of person." An Xiaoduo held her hand and comforted her, "It's Yu Zhangwen who doesn't know his head. Of course my sister is important, but he can't ignore your feelings."

Chu Kui smiled a little lonely: "So, I agreed as soon as the senior of the magazine opened his mouth. I think it might be easier to forget him in a different environment. I won't learn from you. I ran to the ravine to hide from the world. In the end, it was hard. Own."

"Yes, yes, you are doing well."

……

The two chatted until late, and An Xiaoduo stayed overnight.She hadn't slept so peacefully for a long time. The room Chu Kui prepared for her was clean and spacious. The bedding and pillows on the bed were white and clean, with a faint scent of lavender. She turned over on the bed and fell asleep.

When I opened my eyes again, it was already daylight.After freshening up, she opened the door and walked out. Chu Kui was not there, so she must have gone to morning exercise.

The swing under the grape arbor was bathed in the morning light, she sat on it, and read a morning newspaper from the newspaper rack next to it.

Opening the entertainment page, the headline of the news that caught the eye was "The work of the great director Fengshan, inviting supermodels to join".

Just about to take a closer look, Chu Kui pushed open the iron door and walked in. She was wearing a white sportswear, white sneakers, and a thin towel wrapped around her right wrist.

"Wake up so early? Didn't you used to sleep until the sun was shining?" Chu Kui went into the house to get mineral water, unscrewed the bottle cap and took a sip.

"I changed it a long time ago. Your memory has been stuck in my college days."

"What's more, I went abroad for a few years, and when I came back, I caught up with you and disappeared. How can I get to know you now?"

An Xiaoduo turned around, giggling: "Okay, then you have a lot of time to get to know me well, so don't dislike me."

Chu Kui rolled her eyes, ignored her, and went to work in the kitchen.

An Xiaoduo smelled the strong aroma of coffee, jumped off the swing with her bare feet, and went into the kitchen: "I want a cappuccino."

"Only black coffee."

"No black coffee, it's bitter."

"What's the bitterness? An Xiaoduo, you have suffered a lot for more than a year, but why haven't you cured your pampering?" Chu Kui said so, but opened the small closet above with one hand and took out a bag. Here comes the carton of milk.

An Xiaoduo smiled and said, "Sister Kui is the best to me."

"Come on!" Chu Kui said angrily, "I'm just too used to you."

An Xiaoduo leaned against the wall and continued to read the newspaper: "Your place is quite elegant, did you rent it or buy it?"

"It's rented, where can I afford it? If you like to move here and live with me, don't be embarrassed, and you can share the rent with me when you find a job."

"No, the rent of your house must be expensive, I can't afford it, and it's too far from the city."

"You can rub my car."

"Forget it, as long as I can come and stay for a few days at any time, I will be very satisfied."

"That's no problem. That room is reserved for you. Come here whenever you want. I'll give you a spare key later."

After An Xiaoduo flipped through the newspapers on the shelf, Chu Kui's loving breakfast was also served on the table.Unceremoniously, she reached out and grabbed a muffin to eat.

"How is your father? How is your body?" Chu Kui sat down and poured himself a cup of coffee.

"The body is not as good as before. He has kidney disease, and the prison conditions are so bad."

"Can't you get medical parole?"

An Xiaoduo was silent for a moment: "No."

"Why?" Chu Kui raised her eyebrows in confusion.

An Xiaoduo bit the muffin and said nothing.

Chu Kui quickly understood: "Is that what he meant?"

There was a bitterness on the corner of An Xiaoduo's mouth: "It's hard anyway."

Chu Kui patted her on the shoulder reassuringly.

In the next few days, An Xiaoduo stayed at Chu Kui's house.Compared with Chu Kui who goes out early and returns late every day, she is simply an idler. During the day, she stays on the swing under the grape trellis, listens to music, feeds the cat, and in the evening, pushes Chu Kui's newly bought bicycle and rides around the mountain along the highway. , sweating all over, although the body is tired, but the brain is relaxed for a long time.

She came back from a drive that day, took a shower, opened the refrigerator, and was looking at a drawer of ingredients to figure out what to make for dinner when her phone rang.

As soon as the line was connected, I heard Chu Kui's anxious voice on the phone: "Xiaoduo, are you free now? Do me a favor."

"I'm free, what's the matter?"

(End of this chapter)