"Could she be deliberately avoiding you?"

I was taken aback for a moment, then firmly shook my head and replied, "That's impossible. First of all, she's not the kind of person who likes to beat around the bush; secondly, she didn't know I had booked a flight back to Shanghai for the next day. If she were deliberately avoiding me, she definitely wouldn't have contacted me first thing the next morning... If I were an inconsiderate person, and I insisted on going to see her as soon as she contacted me, she wouldn't be able to handle the situation, would she?"

"Uh...that makes some sense."

I was still a little hurt about going to Shanghai, so I didn't want Taozi to keep asking me about it. Instead, I changed the subject and asked Taozi, "How's it going on your end? Have you raised enough money to take over the inn?"

"We're still a little short. The guesthouse owner is very understanding and said we can pay in full before the New Year... By the way, I heard some good news from a friend who owns a guesthouse yesterday. He said that the number of tourists to Dali this year during the New Year will only be more than last year, not less... Such a large number of tourists is a huge challenge for the accommodation industry. In order to prevent tourists from having a bad experience, the authorities are studying whether to open some sea-view guesthouses... or, temporarily open a batch during the New Year."

"That's good. I think the authorities should relax the policies in time. If the tourism system is really overwhelmed by the surge in tourists, the real damage will be to the tourism image of this place."

Peach smiled and said, "I really hope this news can be confirmed, otherwise the pressure on Tie Nan will be too great."

I nodded.

Taozi added, "If we can make a fortune during the Spring Festival, we can really consider taking over a larger seaside inn together next year... Once things are stable here, Bai Lu and Coach Ma will have the confidence to come back. Anyway, I feel that since coming to Dali, the days when we ran that inn together were the most comfortable."

“I think so too… If I can make money during the Chinese New Year, I’d definitely agree to take over a bigger seaside inn.”

"Hmm... The New Year is almost here, I wonder where Bai Lu and the others are now... And Si Si, she said she's going abroad in about a week... Sigh! It's impossible to get all those people together again."

Hearing Taozi say that made me feel bad, but I still replied calmly, "Nothing in this world is perfect. I've always felt that perfectionism is a trap. The more you want perfection, the harder you fall in the end... It's better to look at some things with a mindset of loss."

Peach pursed her lips and replied, "After being out in the world for so long, how could I not understand what you're saying! ...Hehe, let's just consider it a beautiful wish. I hope that one day, we can all be at the foot of Cangshan Mountain and by Erhai Lake, just like before, drinking and chatting..."