While I was worried that Ye Zhi wouldn't cooperate, she moved closer to me, our shoulders almost touching. Then she said to Lu Jia, "When two people are together, they're bound to encounter all sorts of troubles. I don't know how other women handle these troubles, but I prefer to see them as a touchstone for the relationship. If they're all genuine, they'll definitely stay together in the end..."

Lu Jia's expression was a little off. She first looked at Ye Zhi, then at me, and finally forced a smile, saying, "Then I'll just watch and see. I hope you can maintain this mindset and make it to the end."

Ye Zhi nodded, and at that moment, I really wanted to hold her hand, because she had firmly chosen to give me confidence when I needed it most. I felt very lucky, like I had found a cup of water in the desert when I was on the verge of death, which not only quenched my thirst but also cleansed me.

I let out a sigh of relief, then gently hooked my finger around Ye Zhi's. She looked at me, and my heart instantly raced. I instinctively tried to pull away, but she held onto me tightly. She seemed very composed, but as I was in close contact with her, I could feel that her hands were sweaty... I suppose she was feeling quite complicated at that moment.

Lu Jia glanced at us, then walked out of Jiulongju before us. I watched her familiar back as she walked away, my heart filled with mixed emotions... I still remember what she had said to me. On the night we broke up, she said that we weren't the kind of couple who could remain friends after breaking up. But now, what exactly is her purpose in coming to Dali?

...

The restaurant in the ancient city that specializes in Yunnan cuisine was packed with tourists. The three of us waited for quite a while but still couldn't get a table... Lu Jia, who doesn't like waiting, suggested that we eat somewhere else.

Ye Zhi and I didn't think it had to be Yunnan cuisine, so we agreed to her suggestion. We found a relatively quiet alley and chose a hot pot restaurant with a Chongqing sign.

Ye Zhi and Lu Jia are from Shanghai and can't handle spicy food very well, so they ordered a hot pot with two broths. As a result, the scene became very strange. I was eating the spicy broth by myself, while the two women who were just arguing were eating the clear broth together, and neither of them showed any signs of discomfort.

To be honest, women are really strange creatures. It's already exhausting to deal with just one, let alone two smart women together... So, it's not an exaggeration to say that I was overwhelmed. But from the bottom of my heart, I am truly grateful to Ye Zhi. She rescued me from a dark abyss and let me experience the beauty of love.

...

It took about an hour for the three of us to finish our dinner. When I went to pay the bill, the waiter told me that Ye Zhi had already paid in advance. This made me feel a little ashamed. Although she said that we would treat each other to this meal, I should still have the awareness of a man treating others to a meal.

Standing at the restaurant entrance, Ye Zhi glanced at her watch and then said to me, "The hotel's contractor wants to talk to me about something... Why don't you stay and chat with Lu Jia a little longer?"

"this……"

Ye Zhi smiled and said, "If you're curious, give yourself a chance to communicate. I think it's not a bad thing for either of you."

"I understand what you mean."

"Then I'll be going now... I'll contact you later."

I nodded, and Ye Zhi then turned to Lu Jia, who was standing on the other side, and explained that she had something to do and had to leave first. Then she left the relatively deserted alley... Under the dim light, only Lu Jia and I, and a restaurant waiter soliciting customers at the door, remained.

"Um...would you like to find a place to get a drink?"

Lu Jia's expression was a little serious. She replied, "Okay, lead the way."

Coffee shop or bar?

"bar."

...

In a quiet bar on Renmin Road, Lu Jia and I sat facing each other. When I handed her the drinks menu, she said she only wanted to drink Dali's "Wind, Flower, Snow and Moon" beer. I asked the waiter for a dozen, but she said she wanted two dozen, even though she's not a woman who can drink a lot.

"Michael, I know you must be very curious now about why I came to Dali."

"Yes, ever since I left Shanghai, I've felt like we'd never have a chance to meet again in this lifetime!"

"That's what I thought too... but..."

"Forget it, there's no point in saying any more. I should be happy for you... Your current girlfriend seems great. She must be a very successful woman, right?"

I'm reluctant to answer this kind of question. In my opinion, so-called success cannot be used as a standard to measure the quality of love... Deep down, what I crave is a pure love; although reality repeatedly "forces" me to compromise, when such a relationship is actually placed in front of me, I still feel like a particularly lucky man.

After a moment of silence, I finally said to Lu Jia, "Is success really that important?"

“You shouldn’t ask me this. You should know this best yourself… You can’t forget what kind of responsibility Shanghai needs its citizens to live with just because you’ve come to Dali.”

“Citizen? ... I worked in Shanghai for almost four years, and in the end I couldn’t even get a Shanghai hukou (household registration). What’s the point of talking about being a citizen? ... People like me are at most marginalized in this city. All I can see is its most realistic and unfair side. Under these circumstances, how can you expect me to bear the responsibility?”

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