Chapter 17 Chapter Seventeen

Li Weilian also seemed very comfortable, he just said: "We have plenty of time." He walked in the cold wind like a leisurely stroll.Dai Xi understood that he enjoyed the moment as much as she did.They walked through this not-so-short distance in silence. The streets were empty, which made the feeling of walking with their companions extraordinarily comfortable.Dai Xi put her hands into the pockets of her high-waisted jacket, feeling warm all over her body. Walking all the way to the Star Ferry Pier, Li Weilian stopped at the entrance: "Do you want to take the upper deck or the lower deck?"

"...is there any difference?" "There are seats on the upper deck, but the ticket price is a little more expensive. The lower deck has to stand and is closer to the water. In fact, the ticket price is not much cheaper, but many Hong Kong people take the Star Ferry to and from get off work every day. For the sake of accumulating time and money, they would rather choose the lower deck." "Oh, I like to stand and be near the water," said Daisy. "Ok." At noon on Saturday, there were not many people taking the ferry, and they boarded the boat directly without queuing.

Stand at the front of the lower cabin as the sailing bell rings.Workers in orange windbreakers untied the cables, and the small wheel slowly moved away from the shore.The bow of the ship pointed to Hong Kong Island, and the mid-air was full of fog, and the clouds gathered on the top of the buildings in Central, making this noon more like dusk.The wind became more violent on the sea surface, and the water vapor hit her cheeks directly, making Dai Xi panting slightly.She sneaked a glance at Li Weilian beside him, he looked up at the other side, and he didn't say a word for a long time again.

"I have one more question," she said. "Ok." "When you graduated from high school in Shanghai, why didn't you go to university?" Dai Xi asked this question very softly, covered by the sound of the Star Ferry's "chug chug" motor, she was worried that Li Wei couldn't even hear her own question clearly.But he clearly heard it, and suddenly turned his face as if being hit head-on, Dai Xi was frightened by his eyes, which were full of sharp pain, extremely fresh, not at all like the long-term memory can stimulate of. Dai Xi's heart was beating wildly—what did I ask? !

With a pale face, he lowered his head, looked at the sea water and said, "Do I have to answer this question?" "No!" Dai Xi hurriedly said, "If you don't want to say it, don't say it, I..." "I can answer." Li Weilian interrupted Dai Xi, his tone slightly calmer, "However, I have never told anyone about this." He sighed deeply, showing an indescribably bitter smile: "Sooner or later, I will tell you." His words seemed to come from far away, drifting into Dai Xi's ears with the cold wind and raindrops. "On the day of 'Shuangmei 1919', I told you that I went there every week in middle school to study English. Wenyue Wenxin's mother was the English teacher who gave me special tutoring. This situation continued until I graduated from high school. At the end of the second half of the semester... One day, the principal called me suddenly and showed me a letter. The principal said that the contents of the letter made him feel heartbroken, because I was the best student in Huahai Middle School from junior high school to high school, The headmaster had great expectations of me and was even proud of me. However, the behavior described in that letter was completely unacceptable to him. What the letter revealed was that I had a relationship with the English teacher. Abnormal male-female relationships throughout middle school."

Dai Xi's throat was astringent, she already knew about the abnormal love in the Shikumen Tower, and she also knew very well that what happened between these two people who are almost equal to mother and child is very difficult for ordinary people to understand, let alone Talk about the Chinese of that era. "The principal said he had checked with the English teacher and she had admitted everything and insisted that she had seduced me and that she was solely responsible. But the principal felt that even this did not lessen my fault. I happened to be At the age of eighteen, according to the laws of that era, I am fully qualified to be convicted of hooliganism."

"No!" Dai Xi exclaimed, but Li Weilian didn't hear her. "I didn't defend myself. What else can I say about this kind of thing. The principal scolded me for several hours, and finally said that he didn't want to send me to prison, but he had to expel me. Huahai Middle School must not have Such a morally corrupt student. When I left the principal's office, I clearly knew that my life had completely changed. Expulsion is the most severe punishment, and it will leave a heavy sum in my file. In China at that time, in the future, I will No matter if I go to school or get a job, I won’t have any good chances. But the strange thing is that I am calm, or it may be that the blow is too big and I am numb. I go to school as usual and wait for the punishment to come every day. On the contrary, she, many I didn’t show up at school all day, and it’s said that I was on a long sick leave. That Sunday, I didn’t go to her house for the first time. After a week like this, the principal called me again, this time his tone of speech was much gentler, From accusation to regret, I feel sorry for him from the bottom of my heart. The principal is a good man with strong moral values. It is true that I let him down. The principal said that he had thought about it for a long time. I was too young. I don’t want to ruin my life, so I finally decided to hide this matter for me, and I won’t be punished or recorded in the file. In the name of sending people like me to universities, I don’t deserve to go to universities.”

The wind was getting stronger and stronger, and the Star Ferry kept shaking from side to side, and Dai Xi could hardly stand still.She clung to the railing tightly, her palms were wet and cold, and the iron rails slid so hard that she had nowhere to go.The eyes hurt from the wind, the drizzle was dense, the sea water and the rain were rolled together, wrapping the small wheel, as if moving forward in the fog.Li Weilian was standing beside him, but Dai Xi didn't have the courage to look at him. "That's how it happened. That year I successfully got my high school diploma, but was forced to give up the college entrance examination." Li Weilian's voice returned to calm, and there was a little slack as if he was relieved.Dai Xi looked at him unconsciously, he felt her gaze, and smiled faintly at her: "Daisy, this is the first time I've talked about this past event to anyone. After you listened, did you have feelings for me? Some new opinion? Do you think... I'm someone to be despised?"

After saying this, Li Weilian turned his eyes away, staring at the approaching tall buildings on Hong Kong Island, and stopped looking at Dai Xi.Dai Xi bit her lips desperately, her whole body was icy cold, and the flames in her chest were churning, but she couldn't find an exit—what am I going to say?I have to say, but, what should I do?I can't tell! The Star Ferry swayed sharply, and the opposite shore was already within reach. The waves splashed higher and higher at the bow, and it was about to touch the shore.A gust of rain was blowing head-on with the wind, and Daixi's face was so wet that she had to close her eyes:

"Gatsby believes in this green light, this blissful future that year by year recedes before our eyes. It escaped us before, but that's all right—tomorrow we'll run a little faster and stretch our arms wider A little farther away... someday... "So we sailed against the current, pushed on, and always went back to the old days." I have recited the words in my heart countless times these days, and once I speak them, I am not restrained anymore. They use their own power to swiftly rush into the air, and then disappear in the rain and fog. The hull shook heavily, Dai Xi opened her eyes and landed.

She didn't find Li Weilian all at once, but when she looked carefully, she realized that his back had already stepped over the step. Dai Xi hurried to catch up, but he seemed to have completely forgotten her, walking along the inclined bridge upwards without looking back. Dash forward. Dai Xi didn't dare to call him, so she had to try her best to follow him, but he walked so fast that she almost had to run to keep up.Li Weilian didn't care about the drizzle falling and stopping, and just focused on moving forward.They walked past the General Post Office Building, the Jardine Building, the Mandarin Hotel, the Statue Square, and the Prince's Building... Dai Xi was almost out of breath, and her heart was throbbing so hard that she felt a dull pain. He didn't know how far and how long he had walked, but Li Weilian in front suddenly stopped in his tracks. He turned around, looked at Dai Xi who was out of breath, and asked in a slightly hoarse voice, "Do you have all the documents with you?" "Ah?" Dai Xi gasped, "B-bring." Li Weilian nodded: "Follow me." Dai Xi raised his head, and the tall and stretched escalator led to the transparent building with black metallic luster, and the two bronze lions looked majestic—it was HSBC Bank. The manager of the VIP department invited them into the reception room. Li Weilian signaled Dai Xi to sit down, and said to the manager with a smile: "Steve, this Miss Dai is my friend, please open a bank account for her." Dai Xi looked at Li Weilian in confusion, but he just slightly raised his hand: "Your ID." The next thing Dai Xi had to do was to sign a few forms, and soon the manager of the VIP department gave out the bank card with a smile on his face: "The account has been opened." "Thank you," Li Weilian said politely, "Please transfer half a million dollars from my account to Miss Dai's new account." Dai Xi was stunned. As soon as he walked out of the VIP reception room, Dai Xi couldn't wait to ask: "I don't understand, why?" Li Weilian ignored her at all, and still walked forward on his own, but his pace was much slower than before.Dai Xi became anxious, and stopped in front of him: "Tell me, what's going on?!" "Don't shout! What do you look like!" Li Weilian scolded in a low voice. Dai Xi lowered her head, this time she really couldn't help it, tears streaming down her face. Li Weilian pointed to the sofa a few steps away: "Sit down and talk." After sitting down, Dai Xi was still wiping tears, she felt wronged to death.Li Weilian looked at her silently for a long time before asking: "Have you cried enough?" Dai Xi nodded, since she got off the boat until now, she was just able to calm down and talk to him.Li Weilian said flatly: "Psychological consultation is charged by the hour, I just made an appointment for you." Dai Xi's tears were about to come out again, she said intermittently: "Professor Higgins... gave me... a research topic, that is... that is..." "I see." "However, I don't have the qualifications for psychological counseling yet." Dai Xi said. Li Weilian nodded: "It's okay, the qualification certificate is not important." After a moment of silence, he added: "You don't need to be stressed, the money has no special meaning. I just... have a hunch, not a good hunch, Just in case. Maybe I'm thinking too much." Looking at his watch, he said, "It's one o'clock, now I have to go to ifc... take a taxi, I can't walk anymore." Sure enough, the hotel staff dragged Dai Xi's luggage and waited at the entrance of the airport express line.Dai Xi took the luggage, and Li Weilian told her to wait a little longer. Dai Xi stood where he was.Soon Li Weilian came over with a paper bag and handed it to her: "I didn't let you have lunch, I really don't know what else to say, take these to eat on the road." "I'm leaving," Daisy said. "Okay." Li Weilian took half a step forward and gave Dai Xi a shallow hug, "I never thought that leading people around would be so tiring, this half day is many times more tiring than my 30-hour board meeting... Be careful all the way , Dai Xi, see you in Shanghai." "goodbye."