inside the room.
The light is dark and dim.
The air conditioner is running quietly, slowly sending out a constant cool breeze, keeping the indoor temperature at a comfortable temperature.
I don't know how much time passed, but a light suddenly lit up next to the bedside, illuminating a small dark area around it. On the phone's illuminated display screen, the caller ID page appeared without any surprise.
next moment--
Just before the noisy bell rings——
A slender palm reached out accurately, and with a gentle flick, the unexpected call was crossed out on the screensaver interface. It was obviously just a simple movement, but it had a strange sense of precision.
Immediately afterwards, the figure on the bed sat up straight.
Doing nothing, just sitting there, motionless.
Under the light from the mobile phone screen next to it, it looked vaguely like a sculpture placed in the room.
"..."
"..."
In this dim space and environment, only the light belonging to the mobile phone was on at the bedside, but as time passed by, the screen saver time seemed to have reached its limit and became dim.
It was about to fall into darkness completely.
It was also at this last moment that the figure finally took action with precision as if it were seconds.
Pick up your phone.
Go to the window.
With the faint light of the last few seconds, he came to the window. At the moment when the light of the phone completely disappeared and the whole room fell into darkness again, he reached out his hand and swiped it——
The tightly covered dark curtains were opened.
Dazzling!
A ray of sunlight that was so bright that it burst into the room shrouded in darkness the moment the curtains were opened.
Standing in front of the window, he half-closed his eyes.
Even though this has been done countless times, the drastic changes in light still make it difficult for the pupils to adapt immediately. However, the movements of his hands were not slow at all, and he opened the window very smoothly.
In a matter-of-fact moment——
The heat wave outside is accompanied by the endless chirping of cicadas...
The fresh and vivid breath of midsummer, the incomparable vitality and the high temperature and enthusiasm of worship come directly to your face.
After all, it is already close to noon. For the midsummer season, this is undoubtedly the time when the heat is most unscrupulous. The sun burned the earth like fire, unleashing its power mercilessly.
The leaves seemed to be extraordinarily green, as if the vitality of nature had exploded under the high temperature, but they also hung their heads feebly during the long period of baking, reluctantly bowing to the scorching heat.
In this hot summer, even the wind has become overbearing, no longer bringing the slightest coolness, but instead blowing against my face with waves of heat. The air is filled with the smell of heat, making people feel suffocated.
Another day like this...
It’s the same day again…
The young man stood in front of the window for a while. In his weak eyes, there seemed to be unconcealable fatigue and unspeakable emptiness.
A totally predictable day. You can see the whole day at a glance.
Just like the mobile phone he hasn't looked at today, the four unread messages in WeChat, and a 13-second voice message, they are always the same.
Nothing new.
"You useless old thing——!! Dead head——!!!"
A burst of extremely loud and extremely unpleasant screams and curses suddenly erupted downstairs. It was the signature loud voice of a certain aunt. The most troublesome old woman in this community and whom everyone avoided was going about her daily routine.
He stood in front of the window and listened quietly, not surprised by this. There was only calmness in his eyes, and a calm sense of... despair.
Yes, nothing new.
Not at all.
He knew that the sharp voice would become louder and louder, and the tone would become more and more hysterical. In the next eleven seconds, this voice would reach an unbearable limit.
Then, one minute and thirty-four seconds later, the door downstairs will be slammed shut with a deafening sound...
He knew that at that point in one hour and fourteen minutes, a delivery rider would be stopped at the gate of the community. The rider's anxiety and impatience would most directly conflict with the security guard's sense of responsibility when he suddenly came online.
The quarrel between the two parties will quickly escalate into a physical fight within one minute and 44 seconds, with fists and kicks exchanged, and the fighting becomes extremely fierce. In the end, both of them will be detained.
He knew that in two hours, the high school student in the building opposite would be unable to face the college entrance examination results that would be released in a few days due to tremendous pressure and fear, so he would choose to climb up to the rooftop and try to jump off.
There was such a big fuss that even reporters from the local station came, but in the end the kid didn't dare to jump down and retreated by himself...
…………
Xia Zhi also knows a lot, whether it is those that have happened in full view of the public or those that are still hidden in the shadows.
He is an observer and a recorder, always aware of hidden secrets or overlooked facts.
But precisely because of this——
Nothing new.
A totally predictable day. You can see the whole day at a glance.
Staring at the sun-exposed concrete floor downstairs in the community and the dappled light cast through the shade of the green trees, he didn't know how many times he had an extremely strong feeling that everything was like a tragedy. An unreal dream.
What happened today...
As far away as a lifetime ago.
It was so long that I can no longer remember it, and there is no need to remember it. Just as he could no longer remember the very beginning or how long ago it was, he could still vaguely remember his original doubts and confusion, shock and impact, and unbelievable ecstasy...
All in all, at that time, he did not realize the seriousness of the matter, and he did not know that all the gifts given by fate had already been marked in secret.
He was just immersed in his own happiness, enjoying this new freedom, feeling extremely excited and joyful, as if the whole world belonged to him.
See the world in a new light.
Explore and create in new ways.
And when every day is the same day, when every step is repeating the trajectory of the past, when every moment is like the past repeating itself again and again, then the result becomes natural.
——Everything that happened on this day, whether it happened at home nearby or in Times Square on the other side of the world...
——Everyone in this world, whether it’s their names, relationships, or all life experiences in the past to date...
——All the languages and texts on this earth, regardless of whether they belong to mainstream countries or regions, or belong to niche tribes that have not entered the civilized circle...
——I have read all types of books in this era, read all movies and documentaries, and of course all newspapers, interviews, news, reports...
Slowly, the memory became irrepressibly blurred, and became lengthy and disorderly, like an endless river, depositing countless joys, sorrows, and joys. He had forgotten the beginning, but still could not see the end.
It's too long, no matter how hard you struggle, you can't escape.
Too many repetitions, as if all efforts are just spinning in circles.
In the endless cycle of futility and sadness, with no end in sight, the finite end will eventually return to nothing... Every day is like a copy of the previous day, without any freshness or any expectations.
When there is no longer joy in the cycle itself, all that is left is bitterness.
Because everything resets when the next day comes.
No changes, no traces left.
————
The hot sun outside the window hung high in the sky, and the blazing sunshine filled the earth. The chirping of cicadas echoed in the hot wind. Xia Zhi watched this scene in silence. After a while, he slowly looked away.
He lowered his eyes and looked at the phone in his hand.
The moment he cast his gaze, the screen lit up just right, and the caller ID icon popped up again.
It's still the same number as before.
After thinking for a moment, he pressed the answer button.
"Summer Solstice!! Why don't you come to work today? It's almost 12 noon!"
On the other end of the phone, an irritable and angry voice came, "And you didn't reply to my message and kept hanging up on me. What's the matter with you! If you don't want to do it, just leave!! I tell you, if you don't do it, others will do it!!"
"..."
"..."
Listening to the unfamiliar voice on the phone, he didn't care about the aggression or malice in it at all, but his eyes showed a moment of trance while being calm.
Today is June 21st, the summer solstice.
This is the most romantic time of the year, when cicadas begin to sing, pinellia grows, and hibiscus blooms.
With the enthusiasm of the sun and the vitality of life, everything grows and flourishes to the extreme, and the yang energy reaches its peak.
This is also the most regrettable day of the year, because summer has reached its peak, and it will only flourish and then decline, so starting from tomorrow, every day will be shorter and every night will be longer.
However, he didn't feel romantic or regretful——
Because today will not pass.
Tomorrow won't come either.
Time has hopelessly stopped on this day.
————
(PS: Newbie, new book, please give me your advice...ヾ(•ω•`)o)
