...

At 10:02, I walked into "Sheep Cafe". Cao Xiaobei was wearing an apron and was fiddling with something with his back to me.

"Boss, are you still open?"

"No, what would you like to drink?"

"Pudding Milk Tea..."

Cao Xiaobei then realized what was happening, turned around and looked at me. While wiping his hands with a rag, he asked, "How did you find this place?"

“I was just wandering around and ended up here… You’re not far from where I live, Jiulongju, just across the street.”

"Please sit down."

Cao Xiaobei said this, then turned around and fiddled with things again, without saying whether it was for me to drink or not.

The café was small, with only a few tables and a small door leading out, so it was probably just a toy for Cao Xiaobei, created on a whim... or perhaps he really missed Yang Sisi and found this way to cope and bear it... but it was definitely not his real job. He was Cao Jinbo's only son; how could such a little thing become his future?!

...

Compared to bars, quiet cafes make me feel more comfortable, so I light a cigarette, relax, and enjoy the sense of presence that the quietness brings, without caring whether I can get a drink or not.

At that moment, a very soft piano piece was playing in the shop. Compared to the bustling ancient city, it was like another world. When I looked through the smoke I exhaled at Cao Xiaobei's back, it was as if I could see through the emptiness and helplessness of a man who had lost love.

He was too well-off, which is why he cared so much about a love he couldn't have; but I'm different from him. Even though I've suffered quite a bit of trauma in relationships, I don't have the extra energy to grieve or dwell on it. I'm more concerned about whether I can make a living in this unfamiliar city of Dali.

Many people say that poor people are not entitled to love. I disagree, but there is some truth to it... People can only have extra space to do other things, including love, if they can survive first.

...

After drifting off to the music for a while, I finally took my phone out of my pocket and sent Ye Zhi a message asking if she had arrived in Shanghai yet... Judging by the time, she should have arrived by now.

Ye Zhi replied a moment later: "Just got off the plane and am waiting for my luggage."

"Have you got a meal yet?"

"After eating the airplane food, we'll find a hotel nearby to rest later."

"Staying in a hotel! Aren't you going home?"

"The nanny went back to her hometown for the Chinese New Year, and there's no one to clean the house, so it's more convenient to stay in a hotel."

Ye Zhi's words made me imagine her life now. She has no worries about food and clothing, but she has seriously deviated from the life of a normal person. At least I find it hard to imagine what kind of mood a person would rather stay in a hotel than go home!

I finally replied, "It's good to stay near the airport, it'll be convenient for you to come to Dali."

"Um."

I could tell Ye Zhi was very tired, but my concern couldn't actually reach her because of the distance. So I decided to give her some space and let her rest early. I replied, "Rest early to adjust to the time difference... When you arrive in Dali, remember to let me know in advance so I can find a car to pick you up from the airport."

"Don't you have a motorcycle? Why are you looking for a car?"

"It's still quite cold in Dali at night... You'd better not suffer through it."

"If you're willing to ride your motorcycle, I'm willing to ride with you. I'm not as delicate as you think..."

I always felt that Ye Zhi only said half of what she said, and I tried hard to recall, but I really couldn't remember: whether I had told her that the motorcycle was actually left behind by Yang Sisi; Ye Zhi may not care whose motorcycle it was, but I know that Yang Sisi would definitely mind that I used her motorcycle to take other women through the romantic scenery of Dali.

I should have spent some money to buy her car back then, otherwise I would have had some psychological barriers... After all, I have experienced firsthand how stingy Yang Sisi is.

...

It was probably some strange psychological connection, but just as I was thinking about the motorcycle, Yang Sisi sent me a message the next moment. She said, "It's almost Chinese New Year, have you cleaned my little Ninja yet?"

"not yet."

Yang Sisi, who was in a foreign land, sounded a little angry: "Don't just focus on dressing yourself up nicely. It's a new year, so please take care of tidying up my little car too!"

I tentatively asked, "How about I buy the car with you, and then the car will take my surname?"

"Oh...you're talking like a nouveau riche, so you're not short of money, are you?"

"I don't really need it, buying your car is a piece of cake."

"Okay, give me 100 million, not a penny less."

"Aren't you just making things difficult for me?!"

"Trying to make things difficult? Wang Jianlin already said, set a small goal, like earning 100 million... You haven't even achieved that 100 million goal, and you still have the nerve to buy my car? You big loser!"

I didn't know how to reply, so I just stared at my phone.

A moment later, Yang Sisi sent another message: "Michael, let me tell you, I don't need the money from selling this motorcycle to you. You keep it safe for me, and remember that the ownership of the motorcycle belongs to me, so you are not allowed to use my motorcycle to flirt or pick up girls... Also, the motorcycle is yours, and if the motorcycle dies, you die."