Section 62: Left Ear (62)
His phone was flashing on the shoe cabinet. He had forgotten to take it with him again. I walked over, picked up the phone, and opened it. On his lock screen, I saw a smiling face as lovely as a flower. It was a screenshot from an old photo. That was me at 14 years old. That was the me in his memory. That was the me who didn't understand worldly things, had no secrets, and was lovable and transparent.
But now everything is different.
You can't go back, silly child, neither of us can.
On New Year's Eve, I found him on the square, accompanied by a group of unfamiliar kids, seriously setting off fireworks. I walked up to his side and greeted him with a smile like an old friend who hadn't seen each other for a long time: "Hey."
"Hey." He grinned like a kid, then handed me a sparkler.
"Auntie said you're going abroad after graduation?"
"I have this intention," he said.
"Thank you," I said.
"What am I thanking you for?" He didn't understand.
"Thank you for caring about me," I said.
"Don't talk like that, you're my sister. How can I not care about you?"
"Yu Ta," I said, "promise me, no matter what, you'll be okay."
He looked at me and said: "I will. How about you?"
I forced a smile and said: "Me too."
"Top-scorer brother, top-scorer brother," a little boy came over to pull him, "Hurry up, the biggest firework is waiting for you to light it, hurry, we can't wait any longer."
I smiled and nodded for him to go quickly.
"You also ask: 'Li Wei, are you coming?'"
I shook my head: "I'd better just watch from a distance."
He was dragged away by the children. I looked down at the ground, it was a big pile of firework sticks he bought, I had an idea, picked up a small bundle, and walked towards the outskirts.
That road was still as black and humid as ever. I walked quickly, with a clear purpose, as if I had an appointment that couldn't be missed. I thanked my lightweight running shoes for giving me the illusion of flying. I held my fireworks tightly, being the most capricious child in the last hour of the last day of the old year.
I arrived there quickly. The abandoned house, the rooftop that had appeared countless times in my dreams and memories, was like a fairy-tale fortress full of temptation, even shining with golden light. I stuffed the fireworks into my coat and climbed up familiarly. When I stood on the rooftop, I was surprised to find that in front of me, there was a red, twinkling thing like a star. I felt a chill run down my spine, but soon realized it was just a cigarette butt! Someone was smoking up here! I took a step back in fright, and a familiar voice sounded in my ear: "Little Ear, you've finally arrived."
Then, that person stood up and swiftly walked in front of me, embracing the me who was unable to move as if under a magic spell.
It's Zhang Yang! It's him!
For a moment, I wanted to push him away, but his powerful arms left me immobile. I felt the warmth of his chest, his body tightly pressed against mine, his lips slid onto my left cheek and then moved to my left ear. I heard him ask: "Can you hear me?"
I was speechless and could only nod.
"He said, 'That's good, you know, medical experts have proven that sweet words must be spoken into the left ear. If you can't hear me, I'll take you to get treatment, even if it takes a lifetime, I will definitely cure you.'"
"Zhang Yang..." I called out to him.
"Don't move," he said, "listen carefully to what I have to say."
My whole body was trembling, I had a premonition of what he was going to say, and I felt like I was about to faint. This sudden happiness made me unable to resist and also unwilling to resist.
Then I clearly heard him say in my left ear: "I love you, little ears."
"I love you, little ears!" he shouted loudly again. After shouting, he lifted me high up in the air, and the fireworks in my arms scattered all over the ground. In my screams, the world turned into a huge playground. I saw that not far away, the fireworks had lit up the entire city, and every star was shining with a magical light like the sun. And the happiness I had been expecting for so long, I knew it had finally arrived with a bang.
Wow, darling, did you see that?
Finale: A Song
They all say
Our love
There will be no good ending
But I have been
Not giving up efforts
This spring
The last cold rain drifts away
There are some stories
Have no choice but to write down the last mark
Those secrets between us
Let it be hidden in the depths of one's heart
Never have to mention it to anyone again
They all say
Everything I hear with my left ear is sweet talk.
The love of left ear is lost in the wind
Who will pity
You have to believe
I won't leave I've been here all along
Listen with your left ear
This lost love
Left ear hears left ear hears
This immortal legend
Left ear hears left ear hears
You didn't leave
Are you still here?
You never left
You've been here all along
Guarding our past
（end）
