five
I was trembling all over, standing in the center of the aquarium, and I burst into tears. Lin Xiangyu smiled shyly, rubbed his nose with his finger, and said, "That might be the most embarrassing thing I've ever done in my life"
However, Hu Tao never expected that this matter would come to a rather hasty conclusion
She suddenly felt very reluctant to complete this journey, wishing that time would just stop like this
What place?
Jellyfish are a type of primitive, invertebrate planktonic animal that are carnivorous. According to statistics, jellyfish appeared earlier than dinosaurs, dating back to 650 million years ago. There are over 250 species of jellyfish found in waters around the world, distributed across various aquatic environments on Earth. Jellyfish are beautiful, yet fierce and venomous
Does that really make you happy? And do jellyfish truly have no worries?
What did it give me
Lin Xiangyu withdrew his hand and placed it into the pocket of his clothing, smiling as he looked at Hu Tao
The summers of those years were long and endless, the sound of cicadas resounding continuously. Young boys and girls wore white school uniforms, their sleeves neatly rolled up, and one could smell the faint fragrance of laundry detergent
The man has resigned
In that moment, Hu Tao felt a deep connection and blurted out: "You are right, it is indeed a tragic thing for a cheetah to forget the grasslands and for a whale to forget the ocean. And these jellyfish are not truly happy either"
"Hutao, in fact, everything that binds you, everything that makes you unhappy, is unimportant." Lin Xiangyu finally turned his head and said to Hutao
"Because there are no worries," Walnut said softly, "There are no worries at all, just living, simply living."
"Ahem," Lin Xiangyu paused, furrowing his brow, "Where do all these questions come from"
"Why? Aquariums are inherently an unpleasant existence," Lin Xiangyu said. "I detest aquariums and zoos; they are like birdcages. In order to add enjoyment to our own world, we bind the nature of these beings. They make cheetahs forget the grasslands and whales forget the oceans... There are always some souls in this world that cannot exist in their rightful place"
Are you posing like Rose from "Titanic"?
"It's nothing, we are friends." Lin Xiangyu turned his head and once again pointed to the jellyfish behind him, as the entire wall of jellyfish slowly surged upwards.
Hutao raised a sarcastic smile
No," Walnut shook her head, "there is none.
The voice of the youth is cold and desolate, falling into this deep blue dream, yet gently enveloping her
Lin Xiangyu, too lazy to argue with her, simply sat lazily on the bicycle and asked, "Are we going or not?"
He walked towards her with his hands in the pockets of his school uniform, carrying a backpack over one shoulder. He wore a black baseball cap turned backwards, and a gold chain around his neck swayed gently.
You are still Stephen Chow!
In 2000, Jay Chou debuted and released his self-titled album. No one could have anticipated that this young man with unclear enunciation would become the youth of a generation
Hutao turned around and, as expected, saw Lin Xiangyu
He got straight to the point: "I have heard many people talking about you"
So what are you here for? To comfort me? To pity me? Or to mock me? She thought maliciously in her heart
"Not at all, I just think that you will surpass him sooner or later," she said with a smile, "there are still many years to come"
At that time, I swore to my father that I would become a marine biologist and that I would protect them. In my lifetime, to the best of my ability, even if it is insignificant, even if I achieve nothing, I am still willing to dedicate my life to this cause
Hutao thought for a moment and softly said: "I just want to study well and not worry my mother. I hope everyone stays healthy and safe."
There was another sentence that Lin Xiangyu did not say, but Hu Tao felt as if she had heard it
I do not know this either, he resumed his lazy demeanor, unhurried and indifferent, as if the sky were falling and it had nothing to do with him. Through the blue glass, it seemed he saw the sea, his gaze deep and gentle. He said, "But I once read a phrase in a book, that so-called growth is merely a series of farewells, and so-called dreams are what remains when you have given up everything else, the only thing left to you."
"Indeed, of course, one should consider who I am," Lin Xiangyu raised his finger, forming a 'V' shape, mimicking Sakuragi Hanamichi from "Slam Dunk," revealing a row of pearly white teeth, "I am a genius!"
"Your past, your parents, your family, those slanders and rumors, are all unimportant." He removed the scarf from around his neck, took a step forward to Walnut, and wrapped it around her neck in circles. The scarf was long, covering both her mouth and nose. Lin Xiangyu pressed down on the scarf with his finger, revealing her beautiful, dark eyes. He paused for a moment and continued, "What matters is how we will spend our lives."
Go away!
... ...
Lin Xiangyu said, "What a pity, that person is very skilled at basketball. I have played one-on-one with him, and I lost terribly in ten minutes"
After turning a corner, Walnut suddenly discovered a hidden paradise within the jellyfish pavilion
Hutao raised her head and looked at Lin Xiangyu
Walnut, it is a pleasure to meet you
I play basketball with him every week. His skills are excellent; although his stamina is slightly inferior to mine, his jumping ability is remarkable. Oh, and he is very accurate with his shots, hitting 9 out of 10. It is rare to find a partner of my caliber, and it is a bit of a pity that I can no longer play with him in the future
How can you change your attitude faster than flipping a book
Why
Hutao did not speak
After a while, Lin Xiangyu said, "I do not know what it means to live this life without regrets, but I believe that striving to achieve one's dreams can never be wrong. Huta, do you have any dreams?"
Lin Xiangyu smiled and patted Walnut's head, saying, "That is not called a dream, it is called a wish"
His voice sounds truly filled with regret
Hu Tao was taken aback, not expecting him to say that
Hutao stood alone by the edge of the rooftop wall, the wind causing her hair to flutter wildly. She pondered slowly, what has it given me?
I will take you to a place," Lin Xiangyu said
Hutao looked at the boy walking beside her. He was wearing loose school uniform, the zipper of which swayed back and forth, accompanied by a faint scent of fresh grass. At this moment, he was completely different from the boy who wore a large gold chain and drooled while sleeping on the desk.
In 2001, the 9/11 terrorist attacks shocked the world, leading to the collapse of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York, with the number of casualties remaining unknown
In 2003, Leslie Cheung committed suicide by jumping from a building, playing a joke on everyone; for decades thereafter, he remained unparalleled in his brilliance.
It is said that heaven is fair; if it takes something away from you, it will surely compensate with something else.
She went to the rooftop terrace of the school, and it had been some time since classes had ended. Not only the terrace, but the entire campus had become desolate.
That was the only ray of light in her bleak and solitary life
What is that dream
In front of those sharks, a red electronic warning sign was erected, stating that as of this moment, four hundred and forty thousand sharks have been killed today. Lin Xiangyu looked into Hu Tao's eyes and repeated, "Four hundred and forty thousand, but that day is not over yet"
In 2002, SARS swept across the nation, instilling fear in everyone as the virus spread uncontrollably
A voice that seemed to smile yet not smile sounded, and a stone rolled to the foot of the walnut.
In the next moment, he put on a poker face again, imitating Rukawa Kaede's expression: "Baka—"
I heard him enunciate each word with fervor, his glowing and fervent vow: "That is my dream"
"Do you like it here very much?" Hu Tao asked him
Hutao felt a slight dryness in her eyes and made an effort to blink
Why
"What are you doing?" Lin Xiangyu glanced at her.
The aquarium is enveloped in tranquility, with jellyfish gliding gracefully behind the glass. Just a wall apart, there exist two entirely unrelated worlds. The soft blue light casts a glow on the young man's face, making him appear as a deity emerging from the ancient ocean, filled with compassion for humanity and a profound affection and love for the world.
Hu Tao guessed many places along the way, yet she still did not expect Lin Xiangyu to bring her to the aquarium
Lin Xiangyu raised his head and said, "A few years ago, my father took me to an ocean park in the United States. It was very large, with a vast number of marine creatures. We walked for an entire day, and when we were about to leave in the evening, we visited the last aquarium, the shark exhibit."
Yes, yes!
One day, she passed by the school gate and, for some unknown reason, stopped. Peering through the dirty and thick glass, she saw three other security guards inside playing bridge. The youngest among them noticed Hu Tao and said, "Your father has left."
And the future is still far away
He never expected that, more than a decade later, this very statement of his would turn out to be prophetic
She did not say "He is not my father," nor did she ask "Where did he go?" or "Did he say anything?" As always, she tugged at the shoulder strap of her backpack and walked straight towards the teaching building, passing through the school gate.
The water tank here suddenly became enormous, occupying an entire wall. The lighting in this room also seems brighter than in the dim corridor I came from, with various types of jellyfish freely drifting in the water
Lin Xiangyu accompanied her as they walked slowly, occasionally stopping to provide her with explanations of common knowledge. For some unknown reason, upon arriving here, Lin Xiangyu seemed to have transformed into a different person; Hu Tao felt that he appeared to be full of vitality.
Hu Tao lay on the glass, gazing at the jellyfish in the water, unable to help but exclaim: "I really wish I could become a jellyfish"
Hutao's throat moved slightly as she said earnestly: "Thank you"
The aquarium is not particularly large, and since it is a weekday, there are not many visitors. The staff are preoccupied with their tasks, and even the ticket checking seems somewhat careless.
Hu Tao could not help but laugh out loud
In fact, apart from their size, Walnut cannot distinguish between the various types of jellyfish, yet still pretends to study the descriptions.
Forget them, forget all the things that make you unhappy
Perhaps, they can smell the scent of the ocean from a very distant place. However, the young man gazed blankly at these transparent and beautiful jellyfish and said calmly and cruelly, "Throughout their lives, they will never be able to return to the sea"
This is her first time visiting the aquarium, and apart from that, she has never been to entertainment venues such as amusement parks and cinemas
Lin Xiangyu was quite familiar with the route, clearly not his first visit. He first took Hu Tao to the jellyfish pavilion. As soon as they stepped inside, the temperature dropped sharply, and the lighting dimmed, mimicking the depths of the ocean. Occasionally, they could hear the sounds of marine creatures exhaling bubbles. The transparent tanks on both sides of the walkway were divided into sections, each containing different species of jellyfish, with a dim blue light casting down from above the walls.
No, Lin Xiangyu did not hide his disgust at all, "I really dislike it here"
He extended his hand towards Hu Tao
It feels as if my entire body is glowing, thought Hu Tao
That day after school, Hu Tao did not go to clean up
In 1999, the disasters predicted by Nostradamus did not occur, the Earth continued to rotate, and every day there were deaths and births.
As the sun sets in the west, the wind blows, creating a swirl that carries the voices of the young man and young woman far away