It was at this moment that I realized you were beside me
It was at this moment that I realized I had lost your face
I can forget everything but your face
Everything can change, please let me look at you again
Music wafts out of the ancient city. In the bars along the street, among the playing of guitars and the vicissitudes of the singer's voice, there is always a repertoire called "Tick Tock". In the tambourine shops all over the street, the bosses hawking tambourines They, day after day, followed the brisk melody from the loudspeaker and played a song called "A Moment".
Anyone who has been here, even if they have been away for many years, will always picture in their mind the scene of walking in the ancient city that day whenever this kind of music sounds.
The outside world is developing at a rapid pace, but here, it seems like it has been the same for ten years...
Do so-called tourist cities and so-called ancient cities like Dali and Lijiang really have any history worthy of ordinary people exploring?
No.
The buildings are renovated and worn, and the commercial atmosphere is coming. People who can come here and miss it after leaving, I think it is not because of the history, but the things that can make them dream about it every night. It's the memories left here.
About Cangshan and Erhai Lake, about the wind, flowers, snow and moon...
No matter what is mixed in these memories, there must be a beautiful side.
No matter how difficult it is to choke and shout in the wind and rain, no matter how difficult it is to sing loudly in the hard days, no matter how difficult it is to stay awake in the complicated world.
In the blink of an eye, there is always something that belongs to you and never fades away.
He Tianran, who has completely become a "passer-by" in this world, is standing in front of a poster with information about the INTERESTING band's performance, standing there for a long time, lost in thought...
There are only three people in the poster, Wen Liang, Wei Xing, and Lu Alan.
The composition of the photo is a bit weird, as if there is a vacant spot, but at first glance, it seems insignificant.
"Wow, we are so lucky. I never thought we could catch INTERESTING's performance in Dali!"
"What, are they famous?"
"Of course, I like them the most. "The Rose Thief" is their song!"
"Oh, I remembered. There was a time when I opened Douyin and all the live videos of their female lead singer were live. I liked them several times. I have to say, she is really good-looking."
"Yes, they seem to rarely perform nowadays. You must go and see it tonight."
"Can I buy tickets now?"
"...It's hard to say. Let's go directly to the scene and ask."
In the lively ancient city, people were coming and going, and behind him, there were occasional comments from others.
I still remember that more than 600 days ago, the name of this band only deserved to appear in the corner of a platter performance poster.
But now, they are well-known enough to stand alone.
He Tianran left silently and slowly blended into the gray crowd in the streets.
This world is becoming more and more unfamiliar to him. The "superpowers" he talks about are true. He once traveled to a tragic black and white future. In that future, warmth and coolness were the most beautiful colors.
But now, because of their love, the situation is reversed.
As Wen Liang's long-cherished wish came true, her memory disappeared faster and faster. In He Tianran's eyes, the originally normal and beautiful world, with Wen Liang as the center, took on a lifeless gray color and began to gradually spread. The people and things, things and feelings that the two of them knew well together, the rich background of warmth and memory in this world, were melting and peeling off bit by bit, like threads peeling off a cocoon.
The color on Wen Liang's body is fading day by day, and now there is a huge contrast between the world she lives in and He Tianran's world. It is as if two planes that had no intersection are being forcibly merged together at a speed visible to the naked eye. Gradually return to the track that should exist...
Every day, He Tianran wakes up from his sleep, and he always passively accepts some changes. What seems to have always been the same in other people's minds, in his opinion, has undergone earth-shaking changes...
Just like all causes and effects, this is how it should be.
He knew that the time for Wen Liang to walk out of this false hell was getting closer...
He Tianran originally thought that he could accompany Wen Liang on a trip to the snowy mountains to fulfill her long-cherished wish.
But he thought wrong.
Wen Liang still wants to go to the Snow Mountain, but she is no longer obsessed with whether He Tianran will accompany her. Now she will go by herself or with her friends. In the future, she will also do what she wants to do. Love who you want to love...
This is called true liberation.
Now Wen Liang has no regrets in her heart, because her regrets have come true during the days of falling in love with He Tianran...
She no longer needed an illusory snow-capped mountain to witness her love. She had truly felt what she had never wanted.
Therefore, before she went to the snow-capped mountains, she forgot about He Tianran.
This was unexpected by He Tianran, but it was reasonable in Wen Liang's life.
This is God's best forgiveness to her.
Life is always full of surprises, and people are hurriedly arranging all kinds of plans and assumptions, hoping to turn the process of life into a movie where the director can accurately control the rhythm, cutting a knife here and extending a few seconds there.
However, there are always some sudden separations and changes that will leave you without even a chance to say "click"...
this is life.
There are always some things that you cannot arrange or plan for.
On this day, He Tianran was walking in the ancient city. Like an ordinary tourist, he bought a flower cake on the roadside and tasted it while sightseeing.
The streets of the ancient city were very bright, and there were some stalls next to them, selling some random things that he didn't need at all, but in the end, he still went up and took a look.
Passing by a silver jewelry store on the street, it was filled with silverware. Just as he was about to take out his phone and take a picture, the shopping guide quickly ran out and stopped him.
"Sorry, can't take pictures."
He Tianran asked for trouble, smiled and continued to move forward without stopping.
He walked to the end of a road and looked up at Cangshan Mountain. A strange aunt next to him came up and recommended a group tour of the Cangshan Cableway around the Erhai Lake. When she talked about Cangshan Mountain, she pointed in front of her with the pride of a local. this mountain.
He Tianran looked into the distance and murmured, "Why is there no snow?"
The strange aunt spoke Mandarin with a Yunnan accent and said with a smile: "Young man, Cangshan usually has to wait until December for snow! The one that has snow all year round is the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. I can also help you arrange it. I'll add you WeChat, group tours to Dali, Lijiang, and Jade Dragon Snow Mountain are very cheap!”
He Tianran was silent for a while, shook his head, declined the strange aunt's promotion, turned around and left.
He wandered aimlessly, walking in every alley, and accidentally came to a row of flower sales. He didn't pay attention at first, thinking that he was still in the vegetable market. It wasn't until he came to his senses that he realized that there were actually many flowers in front of him. It's flowers...
The flowers in the ancient city of Dali cost 3 bouquets for 10 yuan. They are tied in bundles and are not pretentious at all. They are the most original look. Unlike most flower sellers who must carefully insert and cut or even package them exquisitely.
The locals use grass rings to tie flowers, and old flowers are also put in woven bamboo baskets. The color of the bamboo baskets becomes dull after being used for a long time. Most of the flower sellers are old people of the grandma generation. They are very simple and crowded. He smiled kindly and with apple-shaped cheeks.
The boy's eyes swept through the thousands of flowers, and suddenly stopped on a cluster of pale yellow flowers.
He walked over, bought a hundred yuan of flowers and held them in his hands.
"It's better to give a girl a rose, young man."
The old lady selling flowers suggested with a smile.
"It's different. I can only give you this, grandma."
He Tianran responded politely. He passed through the colorful scene and walked back to the main street of the ancient city, where he found the venue where INTERESTING was going to perform in the evening.
However, the conductor at the door told him that the tickets for today's performance had been sold out a few days ago.
"..."
He Tianran's eyes, which had remained calm, finally showed a trace of fluctuation.
"...Perhaps, you can come here to try your luck when the show starts? Some people should be asking for tickets by then."
The conductor gave a rare suggestion.
"No, that's it..."
His right hand holding Huajing trembled slightly, and then left alone.
He found a bench in an alley not far from the performance site. The man sat down and put the flowers on his lap. The sun gradually set, reflecting the golden color of the stone streets of the ancient city.
He was like a brooding statue, motionless.
Then, night fell and the lanterns were lit.
The ancient city of Dali seemed to be more lively at night. The live house performance began. The singing and cheering could faintly reach He Tianran's ears. He waited for a long time and finally heard the familiar singing...
She came on stage.
He stood up.
At this night, he stood in the alley, standing in the darkness, like a wandering ghost, but when he walked under the streetlight, he seemed to be reborn.
So, he was like this, over and over again, indistinguishable between humans and ghosts.
…
…
By the time the show ended, it was already late at night.
"We agreed to only sing two songs, but the audience kept shouting for encore. Ah Liang, you kept satisfying them. I think we have suffered a loss."
After waiting for the audience to leave, Wen Liang and his group secretly left under the moonlight.
"Brother Alan, don't come here. You were playing the drums just now. You had a lot of fun!"
Wen Liang stretched out, his face flushed slightly with excitement, and he still had some unfinished thoughts.
"Tsk, that's right. This is the charm of the scene. But Ah Liang, you should sing less in the future and control it. Otherwise, it will be difficult for me to arrange work in the future and I will suffer a total loss. Let's go. I know there is a barbecue. The taste is quite solid, and it’s the only place in Yunnan where I can eat this, I’ve been thinking about it for several years!”
Alan Lu waved boldly and took the lead to lead the way.
Sheng Qidong hugged Li Wang's arm next to her and asked, "Hey, isn't it some kind of roasted silkworm chrysalis?"
Alan Lu deliberately frightened him: "Roasted silkworm chrysalis is Northeastern barbecue. It's just a child's play here in Yunnan. Bamboo worms, centipedes, grasshoppers, etc. are usually grilled here. They are eaten in different ways. Some are fried and some are grilled. Yes, take it into your mouth and click it, tsk tsk tsk, it’s delicious~”
Several girls had goosebumps...
"Hey, don't talk about this. What are our plans for tomorrow?" Gu Ling quickly changed the subject.
Cai Jueming continued: "Tomorrow we will definitely drive along the highway to go around Erhai Lake. Are you going?"
Li Wang and Sheng Qidong looked at each other, and the former said: "Of course, we want to go shopping in the double corridor."
Shuanglang is also an ancient town, but it is relatively rational and less commercialized. It is located on the east coast of Erhai Lake.
"Then you can go in the same car. Tomorrow, me, Xingzi, and Hu Yue, the three of us will bask in the sun in the city. The day after tomorrow we will leave for Lijiang, where there will be a performance."
Alan Lu, who was walking in front, said something.
At this time, Wei Xing, who was beside Wen Liang, asked, "Ah Liang, what are your plans for tomorrow?"
"……I?"
The girl paused, then turned to look at the male companions beside her two best friends. She felt as if something was missing and empty in her heart.
"Ah Liang, why don't you go around the Erhai Lake with us tomorrow? Let's take photos together! You don't want to go alone!" Sheng Qidong suggested and threatened.
She smiled and said, "Okay!"
The two best friends cheered.
Since cars are not allowed in the ancient city, they had to walk for a while, and the instruments needed for the band's performance were all provided by the livehouse, so they didn't have anything in their hands.
As Wen Liang walked, she felt that something was missing. She suddenly came back to her senses:
"You guys go to the parking lot first. I forgot my guitar. I'll go back and I'll be right back!"
After saying that, the friends joked a few words, Wen Liang turned around and ran back to the performance venue, and retrieved the piano that Xiao Jia gave to him at noon backstage.
"I don't know if he will come tonight."
Recalling the original owner of the piano in his mind, Wen Liang put the piano bag on his back again and muttered silently.
This piano was used when she sang the encore tonight. Wen Liang felt that since the boy who called himself "Passenger A" was willing to give this piano to her, then it would be the best respect to put it to its best use. If that boy If a boy sees himself using this piano on stage, he will be very happy, right?
Outside the door, the ancient city of Dali at night is as cool as water and quiet and deep.
The girl walked quickly on the long stone street. Suddenly, on her left hand side, she seemed to see something flashing in the corner of her eye.
Turning around, I saw that it was a street lamp in an alley. It might have been in disrepair, causing it to flicker on and off.
She was about to leave, but she found that under the orange light, something seemed to be wrapped around the lamp pole, like a stubborn vine...
Wen Liang's heart suddenly shook...
Her feet were out of control, and she walked closer like a ghost, wanting to take a closer look.
Slowly, she walked into the alley, came under the streetlight, and stood within the range illuminated by the orange light...
She looked intently, and an inexplicable sadness surged in her heart for no reason. She didn't know why, but she felt that the things on the lamp pole were very romantic, familiar to her, and important...
In the quiet night, under the light...
There are sunflowers blooming there.
(End of chapter)
