"Okay, then go to sleep... Tomorrow we'll take turns driving, and we'll drive at least 1,500 kilometers."

How many days will it take to arrive?

"If we eat and sleep on the bus, it will take at most two days."

"Isn't it unnecessary to rush like this?"

"Please understand, I'm really anxious! ...After returning to Dali, I still need to find time to go back to my hometown, so I really can't afford to waste any more time on the road!"

"I understand, not only do I understand, but I also admire your spirit of hard work and perseverance for your career... You drove nearly 3,000 kilometers in two days, what kind of drive is that!"

I chuckled and said, "If you don't even have this much drive, how can you call yourself a thirty-year-old man?"

"You're giving me another pep talk!"

I stopped smiling and said seriously, "Chen Jin, we need to make this clear before we leave. You're not coming to Dali with me to enjoy life or heal your heartbreak. We need to actually do something meaningful... If you don't feel like you're in the right state right now, then stay in Shanghai for a while longer. Once you've adjusted your mindset, then come to Dali to find me."

Chen Jin smiled and replied, "I suddenly feel like you're the one who's really been injected with adrenaline. No wonder people say that pressure is the driving force... If one day you really achieve great things, you'll have to thank the girl next to you now... Most women really can't put this much pressure on you!"

After a brief pause, Chen Jin continued with deep feeling, "So, men really don't need to reject finding a woman who's more capable than them. Anyone with a bit of backbone can turn that pressure into motivation... You're a perfect example. Even if you didn't end up with that girl, you still grew from it, didn't you?"

Looking at Chen Jin, I suddenly felt he was even more awesome, because his words had actually untied a knot in my heart...

Yes, why should I be so hard on myself and Ye Zhi? Just like Chen Jin said, even if Ye Zhi and I don't end up together, I've still grown from the experience. So why can't I face my relationship with Ye Zhi with gratitude for the experience?

Perhaps what we are experiencing now is the most beautiful thing, compared to the outcome...

...

Having figured all this out, I suddenly felt a sense of clarity. So, after turning off the lights, I sent a message to Ye Zhi, who had probably already gotten off the plane. I wasn't evasive or humble; I said, "You promised me before that you would come back to this small mountain town with me... Although we've had some unpleasantness lately, I still hope you can keep your promise... I don't want to pressure you with so-called credibility and force you to do this... I just want to tell you that this small town is really beautiful with its mountains and rivers... I like you very much too!!... I hope you can come home with me this time... Also, don't overwork yourself. Although I can't help you much, I'll be there to lean on when you need me."