The Hong Kong City has the Tumo River, and the University of Hong Kong has a lead-washing pond.
Although the lead washing pool is named after "pond", it is the largest artificial lake in the entire university town and even the entire port city.
If you visit the lake on a summer night, you can see the vast smoke waves of the lead washing pool. Under the action of light, the lake surface seems to be anchored with thousands of stars, emitting ever-changing light. When you are here, you can see the lakes, mountains and trees in the park, and you can also see the shadows of the buildings of the university. It is really full of poetry and painting everywhere.
As a landmark attraction of the University of Hong Kong, the lead-washing pool has an even more extraordinary meaning for many students. The word "lead-washing" itself means to wash away all the lead, symbolizing intellectuals who are indifferent to fame and wealth, and tolerant and non-controversial. For a long time, this tranquil and far-reaching lake has become the spiritual totem of generations of HKU students.
It was dusk at this time, and the remaining clouds were forming on the lead-washing pond, creating a beautiful scene with shimmering waves and clear skies.
Cao Aiqing sat on a stone chair on the shore, looking at the rippling dim waves. She lowered her eyebrows and lowered her head. The breeze in the golden autumn blew through her hair and wrinkled the beautiful reflection in the water.
People were looking at the scene, and there were people in the scene. Occasionally, two or three students passed by and witnessed this scene. They couldn't help but stop for a moment, take a photo, or directly muster up the courage to approach and strike up a conversation, but in the end, the girl shook her head and declined.
There were a few people who didn't give up and showed a bit of generosity after being rejected. They stayed aside and refused to leave. Even though Cao Aiqing didn't react, they just continued chatting without hooking up.
College is no better than high school. People from all over the world gather in one place, and there are all kinds of people. In addition, after three years of suppression, the youthful hormones explode, making people thicker-skinned.
"Monitor?"
Just when Cao Aiqing was in trouble, a cramped sound suddenly reached her ears.
Cao Aiqing is no longer the squad leader. The person who can call her by this name must be an old acquaintance from high school.
She raised her eyes and saw an honest and honest face that was not familiar to her.
"Guo Huai?"
The appearance of this person was unexpected and reasonable. After all, only two people in their class were admitted to the University of Hong Kong. One was her and the second was Guo Huai. Although they were in different majors, during the four years of university, they had always been Will meet.
However, the current Cao Aiqing has very little impression of Guo Huai.
And the only thing that can make her remember this person is that he... has good math scores?
"I didn't expect to meet you here, monitor."
Guo Huai came forward with a shy face. Seeing Cao Aiqing reminiscing with acquaintances, several boys felt helpless and left in frustration after a while.
"Yeah, I didn't expect that we would meet so soon."
Cao Aiqing responded with a smile. The other person's helpless state made her subconsciously think of someone.
"Fate, squad leader, are you taking a walk here or waiting for someone?"
"I made an appointment with Tianran..."
"Ah, congratulations to you. After graduating from high school, you finally achieved enlightenment. Our high school WeChat group is always talking about you two!"
Guo Huai gave a blessing from the bottom of his heart, but he was obviously not used to such an environment. Although he was right in front of Cao Aiqing, he kept standing and did not dare to sit down. He could only scratch his head cautiously as a cover-up.
Cao Aiqing felt inexplicably sad when she heard this. She moved to the side and said to Guo Huai: "Sit down and chat. Stop standing. Besides, I'm not the squad leader now. Just call me by my name."
Guo Huai quickly waved his hand, "No, no, I'm so happy, and I'm going to the department's teaching building right away to deal with something..."
At this time, Cao Aiqing saw clearly that he was holding a transparent document bag containing some information, and the most conspicuous one was undoubtedly an admission notice from the University of Hong Kong.
The girl was a little confused and asked: "What's wrong, so urgent?"
Guo Huai had a look on his face and hesitantly said, "It's just...I...what...want to change my major, to...the Department of Mathematics."
Cao Aiqing blinked, "I remember you were studying computer science, right? Why did you suddenly think of changing your major?"
Guo Huai sighed and said regretfully: "Actually, it was my mother who asked me to major in computer science at the beginning. She said this major can make money, but I feel... I still prefer mathematics."
After hearing this, Cao Aiqing expressed his understanding. I heard from people in the class that Guo Huai's hometown is in a small county in Jiangsu, and his mother sent him to his uncle's house in Hong Kong City in order to give him a better education.
Now that Guo Huai has been admitted to the University of Hong Kong, he has lived up to the expectations of his family.
"You should be more cautious about majors. Although parents' advice is very important, you should still think more about yourself and figure out what your hobbies and likes are. Although you are choosing a major now, it may last a lifetime. It’s a career…”
Cao Aiqing helped him analyze it carefully. Guo Huai looked at the girl's expression when she spoke and couldn't help but say:
"Monitor..."
"What?"
Guo Huai blushed and took a breath, "It's nothing... I just suddenly felt that you and Tian Ran are really compatible together. You are both the kind of people who are very independent and have plans for your future... I I envy people like you, really..."
Cao Aiqing was a little confused by his meaningless words, but this was a private matter between her and He Tianran, and at this embarrassing juncture, she had no intention of discussing it, so she changed the topic:
"Thank you... By the way, Guo Huai, we are in a liberal arts class. Since you like math so much, why didn't you choose science when you were in the second grade of high school?"
Guo Huai's face was embarrassed, his eyes escaped for a moment, and he answered hesitantly:
"Liberal arts... Liberal arts is our advantage in Hong Kong... And if you are good at math... you can also score points in liberal arts exams."
Cao Aiqing was even more puzzled. She had never heard that Hong Kong and China had such an advantage in partial subjects.
However, she didn't know much about Guo Huai. She could only think of him as a strategy to cope with the exam, so she stopped asking any more questions and reminded:
"Okay, I won't delay you anymore. Go and do your work quickly. If it gets later, the teachers will get off work."
"Um!"
Guo Huai nodded and turned to leave. Cao Aiqing saw that he was sweating, and the front collar of the T-shirt he was wearing was wet with sweat, leaving a circle of salt stains. He must have been busy with this all day.
City University of Hong Kong is very big, and the buildings are really not close to each other. For example, if a student transfers to a department, he will definitely have to travel back and forth between the two colleges. In addition, interviews and written examinations will also be arranged later. All the procedures are just considered. It’s very cumbersome to think about.
"You wait a moment."
Cao Aiqing stopped Guo Huai, took out a bottle of water and a pack of tissues from his bag and handed them over, encouraging:
"Come on, classmate Guo, you can definitely do it!"
Guo Huai took the water and tissue in a daze, nodded heavily with his head lowered, said "thank you" in a muffled voice, and left without saying another word.
Looking at Guo Huai's back fading away, Cao Aiqing couldn't help but fall into deep thought.
She was thinking that Guo Huai and He Tianran seemed to have the same qualities, but why she only had a soft spot for the latter.
If the things that He Tianran did for him were transferred to Guo Huai, would he like him?
The answer is almost no.
Is it the looks?
Yes, but it's not the most important.
Is it character?
There are some, but it doesn't seem to be important.
Is it talent?
Naturally, Guo Huai was admitted to the Film Academy, and Guo Huai also entered the University of Hong Kong. From this point of view, they are equally matched.
So, why didn't he fall in love with Guo Huai?
Cao Aiqing frowned. She thought for a long time and couldn't think of a reason.
Until she lost consciousness, this sentence suddenly rang in her ears:
"I met Guo Huai who came just now and chatted with him for a few words. He told me that you were here, so I came over quickly..."
Cao Aiqing suddenly looked sideways, and it turned out that He Tianran had sat beside her at some point, staring at her with worry on his face.
The girl looked at the face that she had always loved deeply, and found that there was still love in his eyes when he looked at her, but... there was also a sense of guilt in it.
It's strange that he wasn't so heartless, let alone said anything cruel.
However, this kind of "guilt" seemed to turn into a hundred thousand weapons in an instant, piercing Cao Aiqing's heart fiercely.
She thought of the boys she had rejected in the past, and why she couldn't bear to use words that would hurt others, but would eventually become the basis for others to attack her, and even trigger a series of malicious associations and slander...
Cao Aiqing didn't know when tears started to flow from her eyes again.
In front of He Tianran, she really loves to cry.
He Tianran was startled, and he reached out his hand distressedly to wipe away the tears from the corner of the girl's eyes...
"Pa~"
At this moment, Cao Aiqing gently knocked away the hand he extended.
It turns out that sometimes a person who is too kind can really make people... very annoying!
This action was like a bolt from the blue. For a moment, He Tianran's mind went blank, and he swallowed all the manuscripts he had prepared.
And at this second, Cao Aiqing really understood why she liked He Tianran.
The Bodhisattva in my heart said it through my own mouth.
Even Guo Huai, an outsider just now, could see it.
But it was not until this moment, when their relationship reached this point, that the girl suddenly understood why they were attracted to each other and naively believed that the other was the love of her life...
If Guo Huai only shares some traits with He Tianran, then He Tianran and Cao Aiqing are completely similar.
This is why Cao Aiqing likes He Tianran but not Guo Huai.
They are equally kind, and also have extremely sensitive hearts. Their love for each other started from the fact that their appearance, personality, etc. were not important before, but what decided that they could be together in the end was based on their appreciation of each other's similarities. "True Self".
Under this "true self", everything that is not important becomes the most important, becomes indispensable, and becomes unique.
Their love is a kind of luck, the joy of finding their only soul mate in the vast sea of people; and their separation is also a disaster, holding the best time in their hands, but they can only watch it. It slipped through my fingers helplessly.
In this busy world, perhaps only in this purest age can we encounter such a pure encounter, and to this, the poet seems to have already given the answer -
I'm lucky to have it.
Lose it, my life.
The girl with clear bones sighed silently.
"Naturally, there is a question that has been buried in my heart. I didn't ask it before because I thought that sooner or later we would digest this question. I have always had this confidence... but I didn't expect that we haven't yet. There is still time to wait for that day...and now, I want to ask."
Cao Aiqing said attentively, while He Tianran listened in despair.
"You ask, I won't hide it..."
After receiving a positive reply from her boyfriend, the girl opened her mouth and closed it again. Her eyelashes trembled slightly, as if she couldn't bear it, but also seemed to be struggling. Until finally, she closed her eyes and asked:
"You... fell in love with me because you couldn't love the person you loved the most... right?"
Hearing the sound, He Tianran was stunned, and his heart was rolling like a tide...
The biggest pain in life is that you know what is right, but the price of being right is too high, so big that it can make people make wrong choices forever, and then use thousands of reasons to deceive themselves, and the wrong is right.
He Tianran could use some glib words to shift the focus; he could play an emotional card to ease the atmosphere between the two; or worse, he could directly give a negative answer and use Cao Aiqing's kindness to let them do this. The relationship can have room to breathe.
There are so many actions like this that work and work.
But these are all fake and wrong...
To do the right thing, the price is high, but He Tianran has already made a heartbreaking choice for Cao Aiqing, and he doesn't want to hurt this girl a second time...
He wants to tell the truth, he doesn't want to lie to others anymore, and he doesn't want to escape anymore...
So the man chose to face the problem head on, and said one word with heavy and painful words——
"……yes."
The choices in love are often not as extreme as "yes" or "no", but it is undeniable that when we strip away all the reasons and excuses, the results will only deviate infinitely in these two directions. The difference is just in the amount.
Of course He Tianran can turn around, he can say that Ai Qing, you also have something that I love very much, you are different from Wen Liang, you are independent individuals, and no one of you can replace the other.
However, this answer is really like the kind of nonsense that is so correct that there is no fault in it.
He Tianran actually thought very simply at first. When Wen Liang changed him, the future also changed. He could not wait for her in the future, so He Tianran decided to let go of everything and not live up to Cao Aiqing's love for him. This feeling, this girl, really entered his heart.
But now... things are far more complicated than he thought.
The man knew very well that if Wen Liang's memory had merged earlier, and if he had known more details about reincarnation at that time, he would never have been with Cao Aiqing.
It's true that he loves Wen Liang, and it's true that he loves Cao Aiqing, but fate played such a cruel joke on them.
So, did He Tianran fall in love with Cao Aiqing because he couldn't love his favorite Wen Liang?
Yes, that's right.
This requires no justification.
There is one more chapter after 0 o'clock...
(End of chapter)
