Sunlight filtered through the leaves of the sycamore tree and fell on my handbag. When the wind blew, the leaves moved and the sunlight moved too, and I couldn't help but feel a little dazed... so much so that after Lu Jia sat opposite me for a while, I didn't remember to order her a drink as well.

Lu Jia still prefers Americano coffee. After the coffee was in her hands, she held the cup with both hands and twirled it around... She likes to do this whenever the weather is cold, because she has a cold constitution and her hands are very cold.

She smiled at me and then asked, "Did you specifically ask me to come out?"

"Yes... I'm going back to Dali tomorrow."

"What a coincidence, I also bought a plane ticket to France for tomorrow... The school has approved my application to return to school."

I nodded, and after a brief silence, I said, "I won't say thank you... Here, take these two things."

After saying that, I took out Lu Jia's ID card and a property certificate from my bag and handed them to her. I continued, "I took the ID card from your wallet... I bought an apartment in Chengdu in your name... 119 square meters, fully furnished. It's not very big, but it's enough to live in."

Lu Jia looked at me in surprise, and after a long while asked, "Why are you buying me a house?"

"If you like Chengdu, then accept this... Oh, by the way, I also bought myself a BMW 7 Series. Did you see it when you came? It's parked under that sycamore tree."

Lu Jia subconsciously looked under the sycamore tree. There was a black 740li parked there. It was indeed her car. She had just picked it up from the 4S store that morning and hadn't had time to register it yet.

The house is something I've always wanted to buy, but the car was an impulse purchase.

I then said to Lu Jia, "Let's go, let's test drive the car."

...

We chose a wide, quiet road. Lu Jia drove at a moderate pace... while I half-reclined in the passenger seat. I didn't mind that it was a new car; I just lit a cigarette... I felt I needed a cigarette at that moment. I had imagined this scene before, and I felt that for me, this was the perfect life.

But after actually getting it, I suddenly felt terribly vulgar.

Lu Jia finally spoke up and said to me, "Why buy the 740? There are many other options at this price point."

I recalled that night in Shanghai when I went to find Ye Zhi. I encountered a man proposing to her on the Bund. When he presented her with the keys to a 7 Series car, the atmosphere reached its climax. In that moment, I witnessed the collision of soul and matter... The scene was extremely moving...

Looking back, I didn't choose this car because I really liked it; it's just that I can't forget that scene, the beautiful woman holding the car keys and smiling amidst the fireworks.

Putting aside these random thoughts, I replied to Lu Jia, "Because this car has the biggest discount. You know, I always buy what's right for me, not what's expensive."

Lu Jia smiled and said, "Isn't this expensive?"

"Among its class, it's considered to have a relatively good price-performance ratio."

"oh."

Lu Jia responded and then pulled the car over to the side of the road... She slumped over the steering wheel. I didn't think much of it, just assuming she was tired... I simply stared at the sunset outside the car window... I breathed in some cold air, but it didn't make me uncomfortable. On the contrary, among the falling leaves, I saw a kind of poignant beauty that only late autumn possesses...

"Michael, what do you really think of me?... Why did you buy me a house and let me drive your new car?... Do you think these are things that I care about a lot?"

I finally turned to look at her; her shoulders were trembling…

Lu Jia raised her head. She didn't look at me, but I could see the tears welling up in her eyes.

In my silence, she continued, “All along, what I’ve cared about hasn’t been what I possessed, or what you could give me… I only care about what you possess… When we’re dating, it doesn’t matter what, as long as we can be happy together every day… But once marriage is involved, it’s not so simple… Because marriage involves two families, and every parent feels the same way… You must have a certain level of self-sufficiency before they can entrust their daughter to you… You have to understand their feelings, because for a woman, the most terrifying thing is marrying the wrong man…”

I finally spoke to her and said, "I know... so the house is in your name. If you show it to them, won't they feel more at ease?"

What do you mean by that?

Lu Jia stared at me, but I avoided her gaze...

Lu Jia wiped away her tears and said, "Michael... I would never force you, and I don't want you to feel that I've taken care of Uncle for so long just to gain his favor and then let him put pressure on you... My thinking is very simple... I've already abandoned you once, so when you're in your most difficult time and need someone by your side the most, I absolutely cannot be the woman who leaves you again..."

She paused briefly, then continued, "Do you know why I chose to go back to school?... If Uncle's condition hadn't improved, I wouldn't have gone back to school; I would have continued to take care of him... But now, I have to go back to school... Because if I stay in Chengdu, he will definitely put pressure on you and force us to get married... I know you don't want to marry me, at least not at this stage. Right now, you only feel guilty towards me... So I can't tie you down at this time... I can't let you live with this guilt for the rest of your life; you won't be happy that way... Going abroad to continue your studies is a very good reason. They will understand my choice and give you space."

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