A Thousand Thoughts

When Tang Xu returned, Tang Cuo asked softly, “Can you take me backstage?”
 
Tang Xu wondered, “Why, what’s the matter?”
 
Tang Cuo moved out of the way of a passing person and said, “Well, I have a gift for Sister Shixi.”
 
Tang Xu was surprised this time.
He was speechless for a moment before smiling and shaking his head, saying, “You are more sensible than me now.”
 
Tang Cuo was bothered by his scorching gaze and took the initiative to look away and pretend to look around curiously.
Tang Xu never took his gaze away from his face.
After a while, he took out his phone and dialled a number.
Tang Cuo heard him ask, can I go backstage to find you now?
 
He didn’t know what was said over there.
Tang Xu answered twice and hung up the phone.
Then he told him, “Shixi said that there are a lot of people backstage, and it’s rather chaotic.
She will take my car back; let’s go out and wait for her.”
 
“Okay,” Tang Cuo nodded and followed Tang Xu out.
When he got to the door, he ran into Lu Chengwei, who had just returned from backstage.
 
“Yo, you guys are leaving.
Why don’t we go play together?”
 
Only then did Tang Cuo notice that Lu Chengwei was being followed by a beautiful woman in a long red gown on his left.
 
“…” Tang Cuo was really shocked. 
 
Tang Xu was also speechless; he gave him a sidelong glance before pulling Tang Cuo past him and walking forward, only saying, “You can play by yourself.”
 
Not long after they left, Shixi came out.
She looked around twice.
Tang Xu raised his hand and waved at her, calling out that he was here.

 
Shi Xi walked over, looking in a good mood.
 
Tang Xu cast a glance at Tang Cuo as the three of them walked side by side towards the car.
Tang Cuo went around to Shi Xi’s side and took a small box from his jacket pocket.
 
He said cautiously, “This is for you, Sister Shi Xi.
I’m not sure if you like it or not.”
 
Shi Xi was taken aback by his actions and words and let out a small exclamation, “Ah.”
 
She took the box and opened it.
She was even more surprised when she saw what was inside.
 
“This…”  The next words turned into a moment of silence, not knowing what Shixi was thinking. 
 
Tang Cuo rubbed his trouser seams uneasily with his fingers twice, “I remember you saying you liked it… so I made one for you, I…” His Adam’s apple rolled, and the voice behind him was a little unclear: “I hope you still like it.”
 
Shi Xi came to a halt this time, closing the small box and quietly watching Tang Cuo.
 
“Thank you, I like it.” She smiled, “Honestly, I never thought I’d see you again.” She patted Tang Cuo’s shoulder lightly and said, “The previous things… are all in the past.”
 
Tang Cuo smiled at her, but it was a small, shy smile.
He’s still stiff, but he’s relaxed a lot.
“Really…  Thank you very much, sister Shixi.
I also never told you how good you are at dancing.”
 
Tang Xu looked at the two of them in the night, feeling a little complicated in his heart.
He saw what was in the small box, which made him more doubtful about Tang Cuo.
He already felt that Tang Cuo was too sensible now, even to the point of being cautious, but the gift just now…
 

After the car was on the road for a while, Shi Xi turned around and found that Tang Cuo had already leaned on the back of the chair and closed his eyes.
She spoke softly, “SiHang?”
 
Tang Cuo made no response.
 
Tang Xu whispered, “Is he asleep?”
 
Shixi nodded.  She then turned around and opened the small box again.
 
Tang Xu glanced at the contents and heard Shi Xi say, “I didn’t expect him to give me this.”
 
She reached out to extract the contents.
It was a small crystal ball with a cherry blossom inside that was more transparent and bright than regular glass balls.  aesthetically pleasing, and even more so at night.
Every detail on the small glass ball is exquisite, with slings and tassels.
 
“I didn’t expect it either… “, said Tang Xu, “He has really grown up a lot.”
 
Shi Xi bent the corner and said, “Well, it seems to be true.” 
 
“I guess what happened back then has always been in his heart, so he took the initiative to come to see your performance, to apologise to you, and prepared this for you.” Tang Xu glanced at Shixi, ” You really don’t blame him anymore, do you?”
 
Hearing this, Shi Xi frowned and looked at him, asking, “Who do you underestimate?”
 
Tang Xu smiled and said, “Well, I asked the wrong question.”
 
Shixi sighed  “I said something too harsh at first, but now that I think about it, I shouldn’t have.
For so long, I blamed a child.”

 
But Tang Xu said, “There’s nothing wrong with that; you should blame it.
It’s my fault.”
 
Shixi didn’t say anything. 
 
Tang Cuo in the back seat moved his fingertips slightly but did not open his eyes.
 
After a while, Shi Xi abruptly stated, “Just now in the background, someone confessed to me.”
 
“Oh? What kind of person is that?”
 
“He’s a nice guy, and he’s been pursuing me for a long time.”
 
Tang Xu had a feeling Shi Xi was going to say something, so he waited quietly and considerately.
 
“I told him I’d think about it tonight, and I’ll give him the answer.” 
 
Shi Xi looked out the window at the traffic flashing outside in the quiet darkness, as if those things could be turned into memories right now, whistling in the night breeze.
 
“Tang Xu, I won’t wait for you anymore.
After waiting for you for so many years, I can’t seem to wait.”
 
Tang Cuo clenched his fist, but no one noticed.
Shi Xi kept her head turned, and Tang Xu continued to look ahead.
 

Tang Xu didn’t know what to say.
Shi Xi had never hidden her thoughts from him for so long, and he had never hidden his attitude from Shi Xi.  He has known Shi Xi since childhood, and he has always taken care of this well-behaved girl as his own sister.
Naturally, he wished for her happiness, but her happiness was not his. 
 
Tang Xu turned the wheel and took a turn.
 
“It’s really good that you can think like this.
Tell me about that person and bring me back to meet him; I have to help you keep an eye on him.”
 
Now that they’ve talked about this, Shi Xi certainly doesn’t have any other thoughts; she just smiles indifferently.
“I just want to have a relationship; what’s the matter?”
 
Tang Xu shook his head and said, “No, I have to.
men nowadays are the best at being two-faced.  Look at how many little girls Lu Chengwei has cheated on.”
 
Shi Xi laughed, “How many Lu Chengweis are there in this world?”
 
When they arrived at the hotel where Shi Xi was staying, Tang Xu also got out of the car.
Tang Cuo, who pretended to be asleep for a long time, finally opened his eyes.
He stretched his neck to peek and saw Tang Xu and Shi Xi hugging again.
Tang Xu said something to her, and Shi Xi nodded at him with a smile.
After Shixi entered, Tang Xu didn’t get in the car right away; he lit another cigarette. 
 
The way Tang Xu lights a cigarette is particularly handsome.
He will habitually tilt his head to the left, holding the cigarette at a slightly higher angle than most people.
The flames of the lighter brightened his face, and because there was a breeze at the time, he stood to leeward.
He had to start the fire twice before it would light.
 
Tang Cuo quietly watched Tang Xu finish smoking a cigarette from inside the car, then closed his eyes and pretended to sleep.
When he heard Tang Xu gently close the door and restart the car, he guessed in his heart that the car should be heading towards Tang Xu’s house right now.
 
The thought made his whole body float like a cat that just stole a handful of good dried fish.
But after he drifted into the air for a while, another voice sounded in his head again—Oh, you are really despicable. 
 
The sound pierced his body, making him feel as if he’d fallen into an abyss, and ten thousand barrels of dried fish couldn’t keep him warm.