"And you don't have to be so tough."

Sophomore finals are scheduled for mid-July.

In the middle of summer, the first year of high school has entered the summer vacation, high school graduates have crossed the college entrance exams, such as a trapped bird to break free from the cage to leave the campus, to enjoy one of the most wanton summer of their lives, but only the second year of high school students, trembling and careful to step on the narrowest position in the wooden bridge, the body and mind on guard, waiting for.

Consuming an average of one neutral pencil per day, with the impulses of youth and the desire for freedom sealed in a sheet of test papers like snowflakes, this was destined to be the most torturous and unforgettable summer.

"God Lin, God Lin ...... Lin Jian!"

Lin Jian was snapped back to reality by the sudden increase in volume, and his fingers curled slightly around the pen, "What's wrong?"

"Uh ...... would like to ask you a question ......" Zhou Yan measured Lin Jian's expression, always feeling that he was in a bad mood, "Is it convenient? "Is it convenient?"

"Nothing inconvenient." Lin Jian pulled Zhou Yan's paper over to him, reapplied the formula according to the solution idea, and went over the last big deformation problem completely, and finally asked him, "Did I make myself clear?"

Zhou Yan, enlightened, clasped his hands together in gratitude, "Holy shit, that couldn't have been any clearer! God Lin is here, please accept--"

"Stop." Lin Jian tapped the table with the tip of his pen and frowned, "Oddly unlucky."

Around the dabble solution method to listen to the students all froze for a moment, and then laughed openly.

After the crowd dispersed, it cleared up quite a bit, and Xu Yang, who had been sitting next to her, inclined her head over and whispered, "I'm the one with the high IQ, aren't I?"

Lin Jian gave him a downcast look and didn't say anything.

Xu Yang: "Low IQ speaking questions - did you understand? High EQ like God Lin - did I make myself clear? Tsk, high and low ah tablemate."

Lin Jian The corners of his mouth curved less obviously, and he said in a faint voice, "With such a strong ability to empathize, how is it that you still can't score 30 points on the essay?"

"Thanks for the invite, it's not very strong, it's just average-" Xu Yang lowered her voice a bit and came over mysteriously, "Otherwise why can't I see what's really bothering you lately? "

The neutral pen spun around in Lin Jian's thin white fingers, and then stopped abruptly with a snap. Lin Jian was quiet for a moment, lowered his eyes, and said, "No, it didn't bother me."

"Tsk tsk tsk ...... " Xu Yang pulled the tune and sat up straight, it's hard not to lament, "Forget it, I knew you wouldn't say it, but the heart always hides so many things, don't mind blocking it, beware of the opposite of things ah I Lin. "

Lin Jian frowned for no reason.

Xu Yang was such a penetrating person that it was no surprise to Lin Jian that he could see how upset he was at this time.

But what about Shen Ke?

It has been a long time since the incident of "forgetting the book", Lin Jian is very sure that Shen Ke found out something that night, but no matter at that time, or during these days, Shen Ke didn't show any strange behavior.

Normal and natural, almost making Lin Jian wonder if he was faking it.

And Shen Ke is not that guy.

He has never been spontaneous and wanton, warm and calm, no matter how difficult to face the wind and waves, is always that the tone of the cloud is light and easy to handle, so introverted and powerful people, is not to bother and do not need to disguise anything.

Maybe it is too concerned, so it will lose its balance - Shen Ke more and more calm, Lin Jian's heart is more and more suspicious and uneasy.

Or maybe Shen Ke just doesn't care.

What if he knew about his unusual sexual orientation? Maybe in his view, this is just a chaotic and hazy adolescence that boys of his age must go through, so he just let nature take its course and did not criticize or interrogate.

Lin Jian boredly grabbed a handful of hair, thinking, whatever, he does not ask me not to say, we will be so peaceful to each other to consume the good.

On the day of the final exam, the sun shone brightly, and when Lin Jian returned to her class from the exam room, she found the classroom half empty.

Qin Le and his successive feet into the door of the surprised, stood in front of the blackboard and asked Zhang Huan: "class president, where are the brothers and sisters of our class? How do they belong to the dewdrops, half of them evaporated after the exam?"

"Home ah." Zhang Huan said while packing his own schoolbag, will be issued down the homework roll a brain stuffed in, "the beginning of August will be back to make up for the lessons, the summer vacation a total of just ten days, are returning to the heart of the arrow, early to run."

Qin Le let out an "oh" and walked back to her seat, shouting at Lin Jian, "God Lin, what are your plans for this short but precious vacation?"

Lin Jian, in a low volume, "No."

Qin Le heatedly smiled and said with a cocky smile, "Then do I have the honor to share your old man's worries and simply arrange for you?"

Lin Jian curled the corner of his mouth, "Is it arranging me, or arranging my rolls?"

Qin Le quickly smiled and said, in my heart you are the embodiment of knowledge, so it's all the same!

Two days later, we have to go back to school to collect the report card, Lin Jian thought about it and said, "Use these two days to summarize the topics that you find difficult, and ask them together when you go back to school."

Qin Le was so touched that she almost kowtowed to him.

Without studying late, Lin Jian returned home before seven.

After a roll in the blazing sun and hot wind, he made it a practice to go ahead and take a shower and change his clothes, and when he came out of the bathroom, he noticed that his cell phone, which was sitting by the table, had been vibrating.

Shen Ke seldom contacted him at this hour, and Lin Jian was slightly surprised when he answered the phone and Shen Ke asked, "Are you home?"

"Uh-huh." Lin Jian says, "Something wrong?"

"No." Shen Ke seemed to let out a laugh, "Are you free now?"

"Yes, why?"

"Come to the hills, roast and eat."

Lin Jian: "......"

How to think one way or the other.

The mountain, as the name suggests, refers to Shen Ke's "Luck Garden", which Lin Jian hasn't been up there for a long time, not to mention him, but even Shen Ke, who has always been obsessed with plants and trees, hasn't been there for a long time due to his busy schedule and lack of time.

I don't know what this is all about today.

Lin Jian hangs up the phone and plucks a ducktail hat from the closet for shade, while still heading out the door in the sun.

More than half an hour later, Lin Jian walked to the foot of the hill, tugged on the collar of his T-shirt and fanned himself, his eyes swept over the several SUVs parked in order on the adjacent empty field, thinking that Shen Ke was not the only one in the "Falling Fun Park" at this time.

He went up the hill into the garden, passed those two huge sunshine flower room, but also went in to look, I thought it would inevitably be a set of grass and trees withered than the bitter face, I did not expect to enter the eye is a cluster of colorful and prosperous rouge flowers red.

Standing in a large area of pampered willow flowers, Lin Jian suddenly realized that he was the only one who hadn't been in the garden for a long time.

After leaving the sunny flower room, Lin Jian walked through the flowers and willows, and after turning the quadrangular patio, he heard conversations coming from the open space in front of the side building not far away.

And he took two steps forward, the grass next to him suddenly came from the rustling noise, Lin Jian subconsciously inclined his head to look, only to feel a gust of wind swept by his feet, and then in front of his eyes there was more a ...... dog?

A good-looking Alaskan gray peach, looking no more than about three months old, was sitting crouched two paces in front of Lin Jian, staring at him in a confused and guarded manner.

I don t know how the dog owner feeds it, the little gray peach fur is watery and smooth, and the whole body is almost fat into a round ball, and the big head is seamlessly adhered to it, which is commonly known ...... as being so fat that it has no neck.

Lin Jian and the dog stared at each other for a long time, the enemy didn't move and I didn't move, after a moment, Lin Jian slightly raised his foot and took a small step forward.

Gray peach immediately alert began to "woof woof", at the same time, while woof while wagging his tail ...... small backward.

Lin Jian was amused and thought to himself, "I don't know who raised him to be so bossy and cowardly.

This side of the movement is not small, not a moment, Cheng Youjun from the side of the building to run over, not yet arrived in front of the body, first through the air yelled: "Fat smash, stop screaming!"

Lin Jian raised his eyes and glanced at him, saying that this style of naming did fit the owner's characteristics.

Cheng Youjun walked over quickly, followed by Lin Jian's girlfriend, who had seen him once before at the racecourse. Seeing Lin Jian, both of them were stunned, and Mr. Cheng couldn't help but measure Lin Jian, sighing with emotion again and again: "My God ...... how long has it been since I saw you, and how did my great-nephew grow so tall? I'm not sure how my nephew has grown so tall," he said.

"Almost two years." Lin Jian answered first and greeted, "Mr. Cheng."

"Hiss ......" Cheng Youjun teeth like, "What's the matter, I have no chance to hear you call out uncle in my life?"

Lin Jian curved the corners of his mouth as Cheng Youjun's girlfriend hugged a gray peach and asked with a smile, "Remember me?"

"Uh-huh." Lin Jian nods, "Remember, it has to be Sister."

When we first met, this imperial beauty said, "Let's talk about our respective generations, and made it clear that she didn't want to become an aunt or an aunty in the words of the young man in the clear and elegant world.

"......" said Mr. Cheng, who inexplicably followed another generation down, "return to the team quickly, just waiting for you."

A grill had been set up next to the open space on the side floor, and Shen Ke was sitting at the table, holding a piece of peeled corn in his hand. When he saw Lin Jian coming behind the two men, he inclined his head slightly and asked, "What, are you scared?"

Lin Jian sat down beside him and replied in a faint voice, "Are you asking me or the little thing?"

Shen Ke laughed a little, "By the tone of voice, it's better to ask it then."

Apart from Cheng Youjun and his girlfriend, there are also a few other friends of Shen Ke's who Lin Jian has met before. In front of people, all of them have a calm and steady style, and are uniformly called this and that general manager, but in reality, in their private circle of friends, just like Shen Ke, they are all a group of lazy sons of the family who have a lot of money and food.

The temperature on the mountain is much cooler than below, especially when the sun is setting, the evening sun gradually diffuse on the sky, the far view is a warm orange-red, the breeze blowing through the clouds, the most caressing people's hearts.

A group of young men were working around two grills, and Lin Jian was the logical recipient of special attention, not having to do anything but sit at the table and tease the dog while waiting for the food.

The gray peach may be really with the owner, typical vegetables and love to play, the fleshy ball from time to time to Lin Jian's feet to rub, when Lin Jian is ready to reach out to take care of it, and immediately wriggling round butt a slink away, squatting a few steps away, a face of "you do not come over ah" stupid look.

After repeating this several times, Lin Jian found this little thing a bit interesting.

He tore off a small piece of roasted lamb chop meat, shook it in the air a few times to make sure the temperature was right, dropped his fingertips, and was just about to tease the little fat dog when he suddenly thought of something and turned his head to ask the man who was standing next to the grill and flirting with his girlfriend, "Mr. Cheng, can it eat this one?"

"How fresh it is, the little lamb from Sunit was flown in, it eats more than me in one meal." Cheng Youjun said, "Don't worry about feeding it, it won't last, it has a big appetite."

Lin Jian eyed the rounded body of the gray peach for a week, sighed, and whispered to himself, "I can finally see how you grew up like this."

The lamb chops had a delicious flavor that the gray peach obviously couldn't resist, and it hesitated for less than a few seconds before it bounced over to Lin Jian's feet on its four short legs and took the meat from his fingertips with a "woo-woo".

Lin Jian fingertips empty, only to see the little fat dog gulp like swallowing the meat down, and then even body roll, directly lying at his feet, rushed to him to reveal the warm and soft belly.

"......" Lin Jian slightly widened his eyes, surprised, "Not ...... really any modesty at all? "

Gray Peach's full, round belly undulating up and down in small increments, tilted his head and rushed to him, "Sihasha", written all over his face - No, belly for you to touch, hurry up and continue to feed me.

Lin Jian was so cold that he couldn't hesitate for a moment and tentatively reached out his hand. After the slightly cool and thin white fingertips touched the puppy's belly, he slightly paused for a moment, and then gently rubbed it with his palm.

In the next second, the gray peach immediately squinted cozily, and then rolled over, peeled toward Lin Jian's pant leg, and waited blearily for the next piece of meat.

Lin Jian raised his eyebrows very lightly and fed it another piece.

Food down, fat dumplings immediately good behavior again lying flat, at him to reveal the soft belly to.

"You're ......" Lin Jian froze and couldn't hold back a laugh, "Feed a bite for a rub?"

For the rest of the day, one person and one dog ate and played, and quickly established a revolutionary friendship, when the little gray peach rolled around and begged for meat for the last time, Lin Jian cried and laughed and reached out to scratch the soft meat on its neck, informing, "This is the end of the line, you can't eat any more, you're just how old are you? You're really going to be admitted into the hospital if you're so propped up."

Gray Peach does not care about that, continue to use the forehead relentlessly rubbing his calves, Lin Jian through the jeans feel itchy, stifling laughter stooped down to tease it: "Do not make a fuss, a little bit out of it, okay? Let's go, I'll take you for a run."

Seeing Lin Jian's iron heart, Humpty Dumpty wailed and could only reluctantly shake his short legs to follow.

Shen Ke stood a short distance away, watching the teenager spread out all over the garden with his puppy, and raised an eyebrow thoughtfully.

It was after nine o'clock when I got home in the evening.

The clothes smelled of barbecue smoke, and as soon as they entered the door, Lin Jian and Shen Ke went into the bathroom to wash up and take a shower in unison. When Lin Jian changed into house pants and a new cotton T-shirt and came out, he saw Shen Ke sitting on the sofa, idly sliding the Ipad in his hand.

As the smoky food fed her stomach, Lin Jian went to the kitchen and rummaged for dried lemons, added a bit of fried barley, and rinsed two cups of water over to her.

He puts one of the cups in Shen Ke's hand, and Shen Ke's fingertips pause as he slides the screen, then sets the iPad aside and takes a small sip from it.

The temperature is just right.

Lin Jian sat down beside him, one leg crossed on the couch, and asked in a light voice, "What made you want to get up and go to the mountains to bake today?"

"Huh?" Shen Ke said, "Haven't we taken you there before?"

"It was when I was ten years old." Lin Jian recalled, "And didn't you say that stuff wasn't very healthy and that you should eat less of it in the future."

Lin Jian had originally just said something casually, after all, Shen Ke had never really restricted him from anything, but this seemed to change the flavor in Shen Ke's ears, he paused for a moment and asked, "Are you complaining about me? Is that because you don't eat enough barbecue, or because you've been taken up to the mountains less often?"

Lin Jian's fingers tightened slightly on his glass of water for a few seconds before he said, "No."

Shen Ke didn't respond for a moment, and his voice paused for a few seconds before he muttered vaguely, "And you're so busy."

If the first two sentences weren't a complaint for the moment, this addition is, well, a proper solid one.

Shen Ke sighed silently.

Indeed, even if he tries as hard as he can to give companionship, the amount of time or energy he can give remains very limited.

Or maybe it's because Lin Jian has been too much of a worrywart since he was a child, so he even gives people the illusion that the child doesn't need to be controlled and can grow up peacefully on his own.

Still, it's clear that he missed some very important moments by omission in the process.

Perhaps it was the neglect of these subtle "key little things" that caused the once quiet, snow-white child to grow into the lonely, silent young man in front of him, and he couldn't even begin to guess him.

Like the books that were accidentally left on the long case.

And then for example-

The wind picked up at some point outside, the shadows of the trees swaying on the floor-to-ceiling windows. Shen Ke pinched his brow and suddenly asked, "Isn't that puppy a favorite?"

Lin Jian's gaze was fixed on the corner of the coffee table, and he froze for a moment before subconsciously denying, "No."

Perhaps he answered too dryly, Shen Ke's eyes flashed with a hint of surprise: "Is that so? I thought ......"

"No." Lin Jian frowned and repeated it again, as if to emphasize the certainty, and then said to himself, "Alaska isn't that smart and likable, is it? And raising a puppy is a pain in the ass, you have to feed it and teach it and train it, and I'm going to be a senior in high school, so I don't have that much time, and-"

He paused for a few seconds and said in a hushed voice, "The maximum lifespan of a puppy, no matter what the breed, is just over ten years, which is too short."

Lin Jian had never been a man of few words, and seldom expressed so much in one breath in a very short period of time. Shen Ke sat on the side and quietly listened to his account of the reasons, until Lin Jian had finished his words, but remained silent for a long time.

I have to feed and train, and I find it a hassle because I don't have a lot of time to do it myself-

That's just an objective fact, not a reason to dislike it.

The life span is too short for a decade or so of companionship -

So because of the anticipated separation, simply reject the initial beginning.

Shen Ke silently sighed, difficult to describe the mood at this moment, only to feel suddenly some heartache difficult to distinguish.

Lin Jian stopped speaking after that big speech.

The curtains of the floor-to-ceiling windows were raised by the night breeze, and then slowly fell, the long wind slipped through the window slit into the center hall, and the warm color of the light lingered noiselessly, in such a silent moment, Lin Jian suddenly developed an obscure illusion.

It seemed ...... a long time since he had sat so quietly shoulder to shoulder with Shen Ke.

Those days when two people nestled side by side in the lazy sofa in the study and whiled away the whole long night together are long gone, so long that ...... it seems like a lifetime ago.

Such quietness was a bit too much, gradually Lin Jian began to feel uneasy because of Shen Ke's silence, this elusive mood made him annoyed for no reason, half a long time, he finally couldn't help but turn his head, frowned and asked, "Why don't you say something?"

Only when she heard him ask this question did Shen Ke, as if returning to her senses, gently breathe a sigh of relief, and then slightly inclined her head, and when their eyes entangled in that instant, Lin Jian's heart suddenly palpitated---

Shen Ke raised his hand, rubbed the top of his hair with his palm, and whispered, "Admitting your likes and dislikes is not the same as revealing a weakness."

Lin Jian froze, only for Shen Ke to add--

"And you don't have to be so tough."