I opened the car door for Taozi. After she got in, she looked around and said to me, "It's definitely a man's car. If it were a woman's, there would definitely be a lot of gadgets in the car. Besides, this isn't a car that women would like; it's too rugged!"

"You're really wrong. This car belongs to one of my female friends."

Peach looked at me incredulously, then seemed to recall something and said, "There really was a divorced tycoon who fell in love with Leilei. He wanted her to marry him, promised to buy her an apartment in Shanghai, and even transfer the ownership of his Mercedes-Benz G-Class to her name..."

As I fastened my seatbelt, I replied, "Really? She never mentioned this to me."

"Don't you find it incredible? How could a big boss who can spend money like water want to marry a princess? At most, they're just playing around... But with more and more customers, it's like winning the lottery once in a while... That should have been the best opportunity of Leilei's life, but unfortunately, she gave it up!"

There always needs to be a reason for giving up.

Peach first looked regretful, then smiled and said to me, "She said that if she married that big boss, she would lose the right to pursue true love for the rest of her life... Haha, what do you, a princess, need true love for!... Even if true love exists, it won't fall into the hands of us lower classes. Being able to live a life with money is already the greatest gift God has given us."

You don't understand her.

“It’s not that I don’t understand her; I just understand better than she does what kind of profession I’m in. If she had been able to face reality, perhaps things wouldn’t have turned out this way.”

I instinctively slowed down, then turned to her and asked, "What do you mean by that?"

"If she had been willing to be with that big boss back then, none of this would have happened... I really feel sorry for her!"

My heart clenched, and I suddenly felt a pang of sadness. But I didn't want to be controlled by this feeling, so I smiled and said to Peach, "We've come all the way to Dali, let's not talk about these unhappy things... Look, Erhai Lake is right outside the car."

Taozi opened the car window, and the wind blowing from the sea immediately rushed into the car. Taozi's long hair was blown into a mess by the wind, which also obscured her expression when she saw Erhai Lake. I only saw a kind of worldly air about her, but being tainted by this worldly air was not what she wanted.

I've known her for many years and I understand her fairly well. If she and Wang Lei didn't have anything in common, how could she have become Wang Lei's most valued friend? She and Wang Lei are essentially the same kind of people, except that she is more stubborn and more insecure than Wang Lei.

...

After an hour's drive, I took Taozi to the manor near Majiuyi. We found a platform with a view of both Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake, and then sat under a parasol and chatted.

I asked her, "What would you like to eat?"

"Local Yunnan specialties will do."

I called the waiter over, while Peach rested her chin on her hand, gazing intently at the shimmering sea surface under the sun. Although she didn't comment on the scenery, it was clear that she really liked it here.

Finally, she turned to me and asked, "Have you started running the inn yet?"

"Yes, I just took over a seaside inn with a friend, but we can't open for business yet..."

"Why would you take over if the business can't operate?"

I patiently replied, "It's precisely because it can't operate that we were able to take it over at such a low price... This inn was originally invested in for 1.5 million, but we only spent 700,000 to take it over. Moreover, it's an inn with all the necessary permits and licenses, so it will be able to resume operations sooner or later."

"That's alright..." After a slight pause, Peach added, "You must take good care of yourself here, don't make me worry."

I wanted to persuade her to stay, but I couldn't find a suitable reason to convince her, so I swallowed my words and simply said to her, "What do I, a man, have to worry about... By the way, if you don't mind being tired, I'll take you around Erhai Lake this afternoon... Tonight, I'll take you to a Taiwanese-run farmhouse for a private meal. The owner was a Michelin-starred chef before coming to Dali, and his food is absolutely superb!"

Peach smiled, then looked at me with newfound respect and said, "Michael, since coming to Dali, you seem to have learned to enjoy life!"

“If I don’t live like this, I feel like I’m letting Wang Lei down… but sometimes I still feel powerless.”

After I finished speaking, I fell silent. Then I lit a cigarette. Peach didn't say anything more. She took a cigarette from my pack, lit it, and started staring blankly at Erhai Lake again... until the waiter brought the food to our table.

...

During dinner, I received a call from Tie Nan. He said to me, "Michael, Bai Lu has already discussed the inn's name change with Zhao Jing. Zhao Jing initially disagreed, but after Bai Lu told her about your new name, she hesitated for a moment and then agreed..."

"This is a good thing!"

"Okay, this afternoon, come with me to the advertising company. We'll find a designer there and work together to come up with a new sign."

I was in a bit of a dilemma because I had already promised Taozi that I would take her around Erhai Lake this afternoon. I knew the guesthouse was important, but Taozi was also a friend I valued very much. After weighing the options, I said to Tienan, "A friend of mine is visiting from Shanghai, and I really can't get away today. How about I go with you tomorrow morning?"

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