I looked at Yang Sisi with a puzzled expression. I was also quite curious. I didn't know what kind of situation Cao Xiaobei, who came to Shanghai before me, was in now. I didn't want him to be worse off than me. I even hoped that Yang Sisi could treat him kindly, because behind his seemingly impulsive nature was actually a heart that was devoted to love without any regrets.

After a brief silence, I spoke to Yang Sisi: "I already said, Cao Xiaobei's coming to Shanghai was a complete misunderstanding... Even if he hadn't run into me in the ancient city yesterday, he would have come to Shanghai sooner or later."

"It's all your fault." After a slight pause, Yang Sisi continued, "Didn't you come to Shanghai to see Ye Zhi? Why are you eating and chatting with me now?"

"Can you spare me some face?"

"Respect is earned by oneself, not given by others."

"You speak with such a江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of martial arts and chivalry) flavor!"

"I'm a chivalrous girl from Dali, so what's wrong with having a bit of a chivalrous spirit?"

I smiled, then felt a sudden urge to smoke, but I didn't know if smoking was allowed in such a high-end restaurant. I recalled some scenes from TV dramas, and it seemed I had never seen anyone smoking in a fancy Western restaurant, so I suppressed the urge.

I don't care what others think of me; I only care what others think of the man next to Yang Sisi. To me, it makes no difference whether it's a high-end restaurant or a roadside stall.

While I was not speaking, Yang Sisi picked up her phone from the table again and handed it to me to look at.

There was a photo on the phone; the person in the photo was Cao Xiaobei, but he was already completely drunk. Yang Sisi then said to me, "I wasn't that heartless. I asked a friend to entertain him, but who knew he couldn't hold his liquor so well. My friend has already taken him to a hotel."

"It's good that you've settled in."

Yang Sisi said to me angrily, "I really want to strangle you right now... I thought I would be free from all trouble after leaving Dali, but why are you still causing me so much trouble?... To be honest, I don't want to see you sitting across from me with that miserable look on your face anymore."

"Try escaping abroad. Maybe all this won't happen if you escape abroad."

“I’m going abroad, but not to escape… In your words, I’m going to live the life I’m supposed to live.”

"I actually envy you quite a bit. You can choose your own way of life, but most people can't do that..."

Yang Sisi interrupted me: "Yes, you're one of the ones who can't do it... If you're so capable, show me what you can do while I'm abroad."

"We've been working hard all along, haven't we?"

"You're really working hard! ...If I didn't know better, I'd think your business was based in Shanghai! ...Don't go running around like that." After a short pause, Yang Sisi asked me again, "How's your business at Jiulongju going?"

"That's great. Cao Xiaobei's dad has agreed to let me use those 16 shops, and he's not asking for rent, just half the profits... I think that's a good offer, at least it reduces my risk by half..."

I was rambling on and on with a strong urge to vent, but Yang Sisi didn't seem to want to listen. Finally, she said to me in a rather hurtful tone, "You dare to deal with Cao Jinbo, that big tiger... you must be desperate for money!"

"Hehe... Fortune favors the bold."

"Take it easy, or you'll lose all your savings for your future wife."

I glanced out the window at the Huangpu River. What was even more vibrant than the passing ships were the colorful lights. To be honest, putting aside any preconceived notions, few cities can compare to the Bund in terms of night view. But behind this magnificent beauty, how many lonely and confused hearts are hidden?

I smiled and finally said to Yang Sisi, "No, we've been unlucky for so long, it's time for our luck to change."

After saying that, I placed my hands behind my neck and leaned back in my chair in a very comfortable position. Suddenly, I felt calm. I kept looking at the lights flowing outside the floor-to-ceiling windows and savoring the beauty that money brings...

I've lived in Shanghai for four years, and only today do I truly understand what life is like for materially wealthy people in Shanghai. To them, Dali is truly a remote and impoverished place. And isn't that so-called pursuit of freedom just a form of escapism after being defeated?

Even so, Dali remains a beautiful dream for me. Although sometimes I stumbled even harder than I did in Shanghai, my courage to break with the past and build anew has never disappeared.

There is a power within me, a power that is very simple; it is the inspiration that Wang Lei gave me with her life.

...

When are you going back to Dali?

I looked at Yang Sisi, paused for a moment, and then replied, "Tomorrow, I booked a flight to Kunming for tomorrow morning."

"Oh, I won't see you off. I can't get up in the morning."

"It's okay, taking the airport bus is convenient too."

"You traveled all the way from Dali back to Shanghai, but didn't get to do what you wanted to do. Do you regret it?"

"No regrets, I've seen you again... Last time at the airport, I thought it was the last time we'd ever meet, but it seems it wasn't..."

Yang Sisi rested her chin on her hand, thought for a while, and then said to me, "When do you think will be the last time we really see each other?"

"Maybe today... or maybe a long time from now."

Yang Sisi looked a little sad.

I quickly added, "Anyway, everyone will eventually face their final meeting, even couples who live together day and night are not exempt... So, it's not a sad topic, everyone has to die!"

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