Once on the highway, I sent Lao Huang a WeChat message explaining the situation, and he transferred 8,000 yuan to me for the toll. Knowing I don't spend much, he specifically instructed me: "Pay for Sisi's gas and tolls. Make sure she has good food and lodging arrangements; don't skimp."

I subconsciously looked around and then received a WeChat message from Lao Huang: "Take good care of her along the way, and whatever you do, don't lose her when you get to Dali."

I sensed something unusual, but I wasn't in the mood to ask any further questions.

After I received the money, I said to Yang Sisi, who was driving, "Your Uncle Huang just transferred eight thousand yuan to me, saying it was for travel expenses. I'll transfer you back whatever amount is left when we get to Dali."

"What the hell? I don't want his money."

Seeing that she didn't seem to care, I felt helpless. Since I had fulfilled my obligation to inform her, I chose to remain silent. I didn't respond much to her occasional attempts to talk to me later, focusing my attention on the scenery flashing past the car window. Yang Sisi, feeling bored, turned up the volume to listen to music.

Half an hour later, Lao Huang sent another message: "Michael, can you ask Sisi how long she wants to stay out this time?"

"Wouldn't it be better if you asked him yourself?"

“This child is very willful. If you ask her directly, she feels like you are controlling her and she won’t tell the truth.”

I finally couldn't hold back and asked, "She's not your illegitimate daughter, is she?"

"You little rascal, Sisi is my future daughter-in-law."

"That shouldn't be the case. Where's your son? Why didn't he go to Dali with her?"

"Studying abroad means I have to stay for another year before I can return to Shanghai."

When Lao Huang said that, I immediately felt a sense of distance, as if I shouldn't mess with my friend's wife. I subconsciously moved closer to the car door and started replying to his message: "It used to be all about hooking up with rich men, is it now fashionable to date a young, wealthy woman?"

"A good match in terms of social and economic status."

I chuckled to myself as I looked at WeChat. Old Huang was a shrewd, seasoned office worker with mediocre talent. He'd only managed to get to where he was now—a department manager, neither here nor there. If I were to judge him by my own standards, with his social standing, how could he possibly be considered a good match for a family that gave a million-dollar luxury car as a 20th birthday gift?

I turned the car volume down a bit and asked Sisi, "Taking a plane is quite convenient, why do you insist on driving to Dali?"

"I need a means of transportation to get there."

"Are you planning to stay there for a long time?"

“That’s right, I have a friend who owns a bar there, and I really admire their free lifestyle.” After thinking for a moment, she added, “Maybe it’s because I just don’t like the pace of life in Shanghai. You have no idea how annoying the people around me are. The worst is my parents, who are always pressuring me to study abroad. You know, I only have a few decades of life left, and I can’t spend it all improving myself without enjoying anything at all, can I?”

"Your Uncle Huang and your parents all thought you were on a road trip and are waiting for you to come back soon."

"Do you know what a delaying tactic is? Once I'm in Dali, they can forget about talking to me about studying abroad; they'll find me first. And you, why are you going to Dali?"

My emotions surged intensely in an instant, and I desperately wanted to light a cigarette right then and there. In this uncontrollable urge, I saw different lives, even though our destination was Dali.

Seeing that I remained silent for a while, Sisi said again, "It must have been incredibly tragic, right?"

I had no desire to say anything, and after a moment of silence, I replied, "There's a service area up ahead, I'm going to get off and have a smoke."

Sisi glanced at me sideways: "You're so boring. You're not much older than me, why do you have so many things on your mind? I'll just call you uncle."

"Let me go downstairs for a smoke first. As for whether you call me 'Uncle' or 'Grandpa,' call me whatever makes you happy."

"I won't let you, you chain smoker, smoke."

As she spoke, she stepped on the gas pedal again, and the service area sign shrank smaller and smaller in the rearview mirror. My desire was thus defeated by her willfulness.

...

After passing Wuhu, it was already past 2 PM. She finally stopped at a service area because she needed to use the restroom. I bought two buckets of instant noodles and added two sausages. I finally had a chance to light a cigarette.

Not long after, she came out and handed me the car keys, saying, "I'll eat something too, and you can drive later."

I felt much better after smoking, smiled at her, and then took another deep drag. She sat down next to me and asked, "Uncle, can we get to Wuhan today?"

"We will not pass through Wuhan."

"Let's take a detour and have some fun. I'll treat you to duck necks," Yang Sisi said confidently, then went on to talk about all the good things about Wuhan...

After getting in the car, she didn't care whether I agreed or not, and insisted on setting Wuhan as the destination on the navigation, starting to ramble on and on. Fine, the detour wasn't that much, and I couldn't persuade such a willful girl, so I gave up on my desire to get going and treated this unnecessary journey as a trip.

...

The first day's journey went very smoothly. We entered Wuhan city at eight o'clock. Considering Lao Huang's advice, I chose a nice hotel. As I opened the trunk to take out my luggage, I saw her searching for something in her bag and in the car.

"What's wrong?"

Yang Sisi looked anxious and said, "Uncle, I can't find my ID card, so I can't check into the hotel."

"A driver's license is fine too."

"I can't find my driver's license either. I suspect my parents did something to it. They didn't want me to go to Dali at all."

"You didn't even check it before you left the house."

Yang Sisi replied with a sob in her voice, "How could I have imagined they would come up with such a wicked trick? Please help me think of a solution."

What can I do? My ID card can only book one room. Am I being forced to share a room with a complete stranger I just met? I suddenly wondered, facing such a beautiful young woman, could I control myself? Is this forcing me to be an animal, or worse than an animal…?