It is still an empty, long tree-lined path.
But this time, they were not alone. Lu Mingfei and Qilan were walking slowly side by side.
"I joined the literary club when I was in high school. The Chinese teacher said, Lu Mingfei, that since you are a cadre of the literary club, you should represent our class in the school's speech contest."
"At that time, I prepared carefully for a long time. I wrote a eloquent speech with thousands of words and rehearsed it repeatedly. Even every point where the audience should laugh and applaud was marked on the speech. I don't know why the Chinese teacher chose me inexplicably, but
I didn’t want to disappoint her, nor did I want my first speech in my life to become a laughing stock and leave the stage in disgrace.”
"I originally planned to start with the whole flower work. Do you know the flower work? It's just..."
Lu Mingfei smiled and continued,
"It's just a little trick at the beginning that can arouse everyone's interest and enthusiasm."
"The opening remarks I prepared at that time were as follows: Dear school leaders and classmates, hello everyone, I am Lu Mingfei from Class 1, Grade 3, and the title of my speech is "Thank you for having you." Mr. Lin Yutang once
Said, 'A wonderful speech should be like a miniskirt worn by a girl, the shorter the better..."
Lu Mingfei stopped and straightened his clothes, as if he had returned to the past.
He looked forward with a flattering smile. In front of him was the auditorium filled with classmates.
But his voice stopped abruptly at the end, and the voice that sounded again was a little slight and confused.
"In the notes of my speech, it was time for laughter and applause, so I paused and showed a flattering smile to everyone in the audience..."
"Some people did respond to my flowery work, but as soon as they started to laugh, the school's vice-principal, who was known for his pedantic temperament, coughed, low and scary. I saw those students who wanted to laugh immediately fell silent.
Everyone was quiet, and the whole auditorium was silent."
"It's so funny. The auditorium has never been so quiet. Even if there are teachers who keep shouting "Silence, silence, silence", there are always some students who are restless. But at that time, you can really hear a needle drop in the auditorium, and everyone is watching quietly.
Follow me..."
Lu Mingfei raised his head, looked at the boundless night sky tonight, and softly told the story hidden in his heart.
Qilan is also a good listener.
Even though he frowned several times along the way, he never interrupted Lu Mingfei's words. He just listened and looked like he was thinking.
"I originally wanted to be a hero who received applause, but in the end I received eyes like thousands of pairs of knives."
"At that time, all I could think about was, why didn't they applaud or laugh? Later I realized that it was because the vice-principal didn't like the uncivilized opening, even though it was Mr. Lin Yutang's original words."
"He didn't like that opening statement, so he gave me a low cough to warn me and everyone present."
"The vice-principal expressed his dislike, so who would be willing to fight against the authority of the vice-principal for a bad guy?"
"There's no one there, at least not in that auditorium."
"In the end, I can only bow and apologize to everyone, saying that I am not ready yet. I'm sorry, I abstain from quitting."
"I was preparing carefully because I didn't want to end up disappointed, but at that time the entire auditorium was expressing its clear-cut attitude to me. They don't like me, they don't like me, and they don't like me!"
"What else could I do? I couldn't continue talking. Every glance from my classmates was like a knife cutting me open. I could only step down in disgrace and face everyone's ridicule afterwards."
"That was the first and only speech I gave in my life. From then on, I felt that I had no eloquence and could only say bad things, so I always said bad things."
"How can a person who never thinks what he says is important speak seriously?"
"Qilan, you invited me to join the freshman fraternity before, and you even wanted me to be the president..."
"I'm sorry, I was scared at that time because I didn't know why you valued me so much. I felt there was no reason for it, just like my Chinese teacher asked me to participate in a speech contest."
"Taking too much attention without reason will only lead to disappointment in both directions in the end."
"But...it wasn't until much later that I discovered that I was wrong again."
"How can I judge the future of my life by my past experiences?"
“How can that auditorium represent the world?”
"Whether the world likes me or not depends not on the people in that auditorium, but on my friends!"
"I once let myself down, and then I let down the people who were willing to trust me. I have walked such a long way, but I have always been confused and haven't caught anything."
"Now that I recall this past event again, I realize that they were right to laugh at me afterwards, because I was the one who gave up first. I gave up myself in that speech. How could they not laugh at a person who gave up on himself?
"
Qilan was silent for a long time.
He originally thought this was just a chat between friends, but Lu Mingfei's words were so heavy that he didn't know how to answer them.
He racked his brains and used all the knowledge he had learned before.
He wanted to say something shocking to the man in front of him who seemed to understand something and was still confused.
He wanted to tell him that something was wrong, wrong, and that the world was not like this!
Qilan finally spoke.
But what he said was not inspiring words, but his past.
His voice was low and hoarse, as if he had been thinking for a long time.
"My speaking spirit is a prophet. When I was very young, I could see fragmented hazy pictures. At that time, I didn't know what they were. I always said them inadvertently. And every time what I predicted came true, someone started to
Afraid of me, thinking I was a monster or a madman, even my father began to be afraid, and later he sent me to a mental hospital. I was very depressed for a time, feeling that the world was really strange and scary, and everyone seemed to be looking at a monster.
look at me……"
The more Qi Lan spoke, the more excited she became, her speaking speed became faster and faster, and the veins on her forehead were exposed.
Even Bradley, who he had known since childhood, had never seen Chilan, who had always been gentle, show such a posture!
Lu Mingfei was suddenly stunned.
He had heard this story before, Bradley told him about it during the 3e exam.
But how can other people's accounts be as good as one ten thousandth of the person's description?
He just happened to have a feeling and confessed an experience he had to Qilan, remembering his past self just like the former principal.
He was not being sentimental, he just wanted to share his feelings with Qilan.
He was confused for a long time in his last life, and he finally came out of it when he had no choice but to escape. During that short period of time, while searching for the whereabouts of his friends, he figured out a lot of things.
But no one could listen to his growth at that time.
Even Qilan, who went through all the trouble to find him, died early due to overdraft of life soon after.
Now that he saw Qilan again, Lu Mingfei felt extremely complicated emotions in his heart.
He owes Qilan in his previous life a "I'm sorry".
So he told Qilan the past story, and at the same time he was reflecting on himself and letting go of his past self.
"The day I was admitted to the hospital, I stood in front of the window in the ward, stretched out my hand from the iron fence outside the window, and called my father, hoping that he would not abandon me, but he just ran away and left without looking back.
.I also felt very lonely at that time. My family didn’t like me and were afraid of me. It seemed like the whole world didn’t like me, until I met Bradley..."
Qilan paused for a moment, staring intently at Lu Mingfei's eyes.
"What you said at the end, I think is right. The people in that auditorium cannot represent the whole world. The world is so big. One day we will meet people who like us and are willing to be friends with us, just like me!
"
"The people in that auditorium don't want to be your friend, but I do! Everyone in the fraternity wants to be your friend!"
"We won't laugh at you, because we are friends. Friends don't laugh at each other, they only encourage each other!"
"So never give up on yourself! Life is long and the world is big. We will eventually meet the right people at the right time and place! They will fight the whole world for us!"
"Those who are willing to fight the world with us are our true friends!"
"Lu Mingfei, I'm glad you can share your story with me."
"If I were in that auditorium, I would applaud you!"
The stars all over the sky are shining one after another in the deep blue sky, clear and bright.
Under this starry night, the handsome Indian boy opened his hands with a solemn expression and embraced the friend he had just made.
Lu Mingfei suddenly took a deep breath.
In fact, he understood the principle of "friends and the world" a long time ago.
He also told the girl this truth as a treasure.
In this conversation, what he really wanted to express was the last sentence, which was the new insight he gained when he recalled the past today.
As a person who gives up on himself, what qualifications do he have to seek applause from others?
He had imagined on that rooftop that one day a god would descend from the sky, pull the poor child out of his embarrassment, and lead him into a whole new world.
But when he really entered a new world, he curled up in his nest like a wounded bird.
He never took the initiative to chase, but always fantasized about someone falling from the sky to pull him out of trouble.
something for nothing?
The true meaning of this word is to get something for nothing!
This is what he wanted to express.
He used to be a person who daydreamed all day long and fantasized about getting something for nothing. Even in the face of well-meaning friendship from others, he would shrink back instead of taking the initiative to welcome it.
That's why he turned a blind eye to the hand of friendship that Qilan once extended, and even took the initiative to dodge it.
He wanted to apologize to Qilan.
But Qilan misunderstood him, and this misunderstanding made Lu Mingfei feel something heavier.
He ignored one thing.
People who are truly willing to be friends with you will be willing to exchange sincerity for sincerity.
Everyone has something hidden in their heart, just like the absolute realm in EVA, the absolute spiritual realm, which is a realm that only you know. The memories hidden there are usually not good ones, and there is nothing worth sharing. Share them with others.
It's like cutting yourself again.
But in order to comfort and persuade her new friend, Qilan did not hesitate to tell her past events, just to increase the strength of her words!
Whether it was in the last life or this time, Qilan was willing to exchange his friendship with a sincere heart without hesitation!
I used to avoid people like Qilan while lamenting that the world is really lonely...
Lu Mingfei suddenly wanted to punch himself hard.
It was hard to describe, and an obscure aura filled the air around Lu Mingfei. The surrounding trees were silent, and even the sound of the leaves rustling in the wind was gone.
…
…
Lu Mingfei said goodbye to Qilan at the intersection and agreed to meet him in the library next time.
He did not go back to his dormitory, but sat on a long wooden bench by the roadside.
It was quiet all around, and the school was silent in the night.
"Were you there that day?" Lu Mingfei suddenly sighed.
"Brother, I stood beside you that day and held your hand tightly, but you didn't feel it."
Lu Mingze, who appeared out of nowhere, said softly, "I don't know how to hold an umbrella when you're in the rain."
Lu Mingfei smiled and said, "You must still be glaring at everyone in the audience, right?"
"Of course." Lu Mingze laughed silently, "We are brothers, why would we let them laugh at you? I will stare back at everyone who laughs at you!"
"Then do you know what I'm thinking now?"
"I knew it before, but I don't know it now. Now, brother, I can't figure it out."
"I'm thinking now...if I insisted on finishing my speech in front of everyone that day, would they applaud me?"
Lu Mingfei said softly.
He sat on a wooden bench by the roadside, his eyes deep and firm, the night wind blew through the forest leaves, kissing his face gently.
This chapter has been completed!