"You've been unhappy, dear Zhang." Mrs. Green said.

Qingyi didn't say anything, and the little cucumber in his mouth hadn't been chewed yet.

"You've been here for three years, and within three years, my tenants have come and gone, and one room has changed owners. But what about you? You didn't make friends with any of them, did you? ”

"You were in school, but did you make friends with your classmates? Didn't you? I've never seen you go out with a boy to play basketball, or go to the movies with a girl. You're constantly locking yourself in your room and no one knows what you're doing. It's like, like those OTAGs in Japan who refuse to communicate with people, OTAs ......"

"OTAKU (otaku)." Qingyi swallowed the gherkins in his mouth and said.

"Yes, that's the kind of person. You are always resistant to the outside world, and you seem to be obsessed with surviving alone. You don't trust people, and you don't dare to talk too deeply with people. Can you tell me why? Why don't you open up to others and let others know more about you? ”

Giving up the attack on the remaining gherkins, Qingyi took the napkin, wiped the corners of his mouth, and shook his head: "I...... I don't know how to get along with other people...... I don't really know. ”

"Ever since I was a child, I didn't have any friends around me. When I was in elementary school, my class was full of classmates who thought my dad was rich. Really, you can't imagine the mentality and tone of conversation of a group of children who only compare the wealth of their parents. ”

"None of the servants, nannies, and governesses in the house approached me for the sake of me, all for the money, for the good salary. And my brothers will only stay away from me, as if I am not their own brother. All with hypocritical smiles on their faces, I can't trust them. ”

"Whenever I made a mistake, my dad would reprimand me harshly. Well, the Chinese advocate 'filial piety under the stick', and in order to educate children, they will even use corporal punishment. If I stand up and accept criticism, I will be beaten by pressing a chair if I dare to refute it. ”

Mrs. Green covered her mouth, her blue eyes full of horror: "God, it's so barbaric, how can you do this to a child?!" ”

"Yes, it's brutal, but it's also effective, at least I have a long memory, and I haven't been beaten a second time." Qingyi said lightly, as if he was telling a story that didn't belong to him. "In China, the authority of the father is very heavy. I didn't dare to him off until I came to the United States to study – the craziest thing of my life and the first time I chose it out of my own volition. Here, he can't control me. ”

"It stands to reason that once I get out of that disgusting environment, I'm going to make a lot of friends...... But I sadly found that I still failed. After more than 20 years of nurturing, I can't suddenly learn to make friends. I don't know how to talk to someone, I don't know how to compliment someone, I don't know if they're going to hate me...... I don't know anything. ”

So, I started playing online games. In the game, no one knows who I am in the real world. I can try to make friends, try to live a different life, try to be my true self. Speaking of this, Qingyi smiled bitterly: "But no matter how much energy and effort I put in, I can't make real friends...... The same goes for those people, who can betray me for the sake of profit. At that moment, I was truly disappointed. ”

"Child, dear Zhang."

Mrs. Green got up, supported Qingyi's head with her hands lovingly, and looked Qingyi in the eyes: "My dear, you must believe that there are real friends in this world, but you haven't met them yet." ”

Qingyi's eyes were not shining: "It's all for profit......"

"No, don't think like that. You are a kind person, and you must be able to have friends of your own, friends who really care about you. Trust me, that's how everybody comes by. I am like that, and so is my husband. Holding Qingyi's head in his arms, Mrs. Green's wrinkled hands patted him like a cat. Everything will be fine. ”

"I want to make friends, I don't want to make people angry, I don't ...... I'm so scared, scared that what I have will leave me. Remembering the faces of his subordinates in the game, there was another roar in his ears - the image of Robert breaking his cane played over and over again, as if he were yelling at him infinitely. Qingyi bit her lip and bit it tightly.

"It's okay, you're just a clumsy kid. You'll be able to take care of everything about you, and you'll be fine. Come, I'll teach you how to get along with others, it's very simple. ”

Qingyi wiped her eyes, and was embarrassed to break out of Mrs. Green's arms, her face flushed: "Well, when you hugged me just now, I remembered my mother." ”

"Really? What kind of person is your mother? ”

"I'm a very gentle person who doesn't get angry." Qingyi smiled.

"Look, isn't that the first step?" Mrs. Green winked at him slyly. "To make friends, you first have to let the other person know their name, and then some situation in your own family. In this way, the other party has a preliminary understanding of you, and can also form an impression in their minds - an impression of you. ”

Qingyi nodded: "It's very simple." ”

"Making friends has never been hard. In the same way, you also need to understand and care about others, so that they feel that you value them. If you make friends and ignore them, what's the difference between you and a stranger? ”

"I don't think it's good to pry into other people's private affairs......"

Mrs. Green shrugged, "Zhang, are you sure you're not an old man who has had plastic surgery?" Why are you more conservative than me? Hehe, friends can share some private matters with each other, maybe you don't need to listen, the other party will take the initiative to tell you? ”

"Won't it?"

"People always have a desire to talk, they pour out joy, pain, sorrow, confusion...... Everything will be poured out. ”

Qingyi laughed and laughed: "Then didn't I become the priest who was told to be dismissed?" Do I have to forgive each other on God's behalf? ”

"Is there any difference between a friend and a priest? It's all used to share and vent emotions. Zhang, I mean: if you learn to listen, then you can have friends. ”

"It's that simple?" Qingyihu said suspiciously.

"Just like me and you. Come, sit on the couch, wait for me. With that, Mrs. Green turned and went into the room, mysteriously.

Qingyi was fine when he was sitting, so he played with "Barbie" who was also lying on the sofa, and almost didn't scratch his fingers. secretly trained the cat a few words, and Qingyi kept sitting upright. Hmph, Frankie is much better than you!

Mrs. Green came out with a thick notebook. She sat next to Qingyi, put on reading glasses, and gently opened the book, which turned out to be a photo album.

Qingyi couldn't help but be moved.

The photograph on the first page is a group photo of a couple of years old, showing a smooth, fair-skinned woman with blue eyes, and a man in high spirits with mousse hair. The two of them held hands together and smiled so happily, as if they would never take a second group photo in their lives.

"That's me and Tom. As I remember, this picture is about 30 years old. Gently rubbing the man's face in the photo, Mrs. Green spoke softly, not knowing whether she was talking to Qingyi or to herself.

Qingyi was speechless. This kind of emotion that has gone through vicissitudes is something he understands a little, but he can't comprehend.

Turning the page, Mrs. Green pointed to the soldier standing on the edge of the tank, holding a helmet: "Look, how handsome is he?" Although he told me many years later that at that time he was just an ordinary soldier, not a tanker. But what does it matter? Man, such a good-faced creature. ”

Qingyi couldn't help but smile.

"And this one, this one you must see, is a picture of me and Tom on our wedding day. The one on the far left, do you see it? The old man in the black suit with his face twisted, he was Tom's father, a pretentious impostor gentleman who owned several small companies under his name. He had always opposed my marriage to Tom, and when I first went to Tom's house, he pointed a shotgun at me and tried to kick me out. ”

"Isn't it? So what happens after that? ”

"Later? Hehe, you're such a lovely kid, and of course I got married to Tom! ”

"Oh, that's right...... Hehe, you go on. ”

"I was very touched by the fact that he had a hard fight with his father about it. Children, there are not many men in this country who can give up their assets for love. By the way, there's also this picture, which is when Tom was a dad. He ......"

The night was deep, and the moon was high.