It was 12:30 a.m. when I left the "Wangjiang Pavilion" restaurant, and I wandered alone on the street. At this moment, I no longer expected to receive a reply from Ye Zhi; I just wanted to use this limited time to experience Shanghai, the city that had once caused me so much pain, up close.

Strictly speaking, I no longer have any vested interests with this city, so I don't view it with too much hostility. I try to accept every blade of grass, every tree, and every streetlamp with a gentle heart, and the whole city softens along with it...

Tired from walking, I sat down on a flower bed by the roadside. I habitually lit a cigarette, then rubbed my hands together to warm them while looking at the cranes embedded beside the buildings in the distance. If this city were a person, it seems to have never stopped moving forward... I know that if I return here in five years, it will have been transformed into a completely different place. And what about me then?

Of course, I hope to have achieved success in both love and career.

...

After sitting for a while, I thought of the woman who had taken Lu Jia's number, and then I remembered the time we had to fight on the Bund because we didn't see eye to eye... Now, I'm near the Bund, but I have no idea what she's doing in Shanghai.

These past six months must have been quite unforgettable for her... First, her boyfriend cheated on her, and then she became pregnant unexpectedly. Although she ultimately did not choose to keep the child, she must have gone through an extremely difficult emotional journey.

Time is a good healer. Now that she has calmed down, she should have a new understanding of life... Thinking about it carefully, although we are strangers to each other, our fates are quite similar. I also experienced a breakup in Shanghai and endured the inevitable pain. Like her, I am waiting for a new life... I can feel that she is a very strong woman. Although she has been negative, she has never truly given up on herself and life.

...

I took my phone out of my pocket and sent her a message: "Believe it or not, I'm on the Bund right now."

"I don't believe you."

"Haha... Don't be scared, I didn't mean to ask you out... This fight is over between us."

"You really went back to Shanghai?"

"Yes... Looking at Shanghai from a different perspective, it doesn't seem as depressing as before... This feeling is quite nice."

Are you trying to tell me that you will go back to live in Shanghai in the future?

"I won't go back... I'm a good horse."

"So what brought you back this time?"

"A friend was hospitalized, so I came to visit... but I couldn't get in touch with him."

"You're really unlucky! ...Besides, what kind of friend is someone you can't even contact?"

"It's ironic... never mind, that's not the point... Let me get to the important thing. I've already prepared a place for you and your friend to stay in Dali during the Chinese New Year. Just let me know three days in advance so I can arrange airport pickup."

"Hmm... how's the house?"

"There's a small suite upstairs and downstairs; I guarantee you'll be satisfied."

"And the price?"

"The original price was 1,500 a night, but if it's for you, I'll make it 1,200."

"It's alright... not as expensive as I imagined."

"It's a friend's price, so of course it won't be expensive."

Are we friends?

"How do you define this... If you have to have met in person to be considered friends, then we definitely don't count."

"Do you want to meet... right now?"

My heart skipped a beat for no reason, but after a moment I replied, "Never mind, see you in Dali."

"You'll regret it."

"I don't regret it... unless you change your mind and don't go to Dali."

After I sent the message, she nervously chose not to reply, but I didn't mind... For me, I was just curious about her; there was no romantic feeling involved.

I couldn't help but think of Yang Sisi again, and the thought that it would be difficult to see her again after this really hurt me!

...

Before I knew it, I arrived at the small hotel I had booked on Meituan. After registering my personal information, I checked in. People say you get what you pay for, and that's certainly true for this hotel.

There was no air conditioning in the room, only an old-fashioned TV, and hot water was only available for ten minutes at a time because the water heater was very small.

I had to give up the idea of ​​taking a hot shower. After a quick wash, I lay down on the bed. Luckily, there was an electric blanket, which provided me with a relatively comfortable sleeping environment. However, compared to the Wangjiang Pavilion where I had just eaten, I still felt a sense of loss. I couldn't even tell which version of me was real: the one at Wangjiang Pavilion or the one in this small hotel.

...

After an hour of staying up, I finally drifted off to sleep. I had a dream: I dreamt of Ye Zhi.

In my dream, she replied to my message, and I visited her in the hospital with fruit... She was deeply moved, and I boldly admitted that I liked her. We hugged in the ward, and she became my girlfriend.

This dream felt like a blockbuster movie because it spanned such a long period of time… After Ye Zhi became my girlfriend, she accompanied me back to that small mountain town to formally meet my family. My family was very satisfied with her, and not long after, we started discussing marriage…

Everything went smoothly, and the wedding day arrived quickly. I went to pick up the bride with family and friends. But then the problem arose: I had no idea where she lived. We drove around like on an adventure, passing lakes, mountains, and eventually getting completely lost in the city…

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