I originally intended to use the condom to kill Chen Jin, but unexpectedly, it ended up in Yang Sisi's hands... To be honest, I didn't think much about it at the time. Since I couldn't kiss her, the only thing I had in my pocket was to give it to her.

I was confused by all the chatter from these people, and I hope Yang Sisi won't misunderstand.

I let out a sigh of relief and replied to Chen Jin, "It's my birthday today, and I sincerely hope you all came with the intention of wishing me a happy birthday... Please stop teasing me, really... I'm so dizzy after a whole day of work!"

Chen Jin laughed as he replied, "I was just trying to joke with you... but if you really feel uncomfortable, then we can skip the joke..."

As he spoke, Chen Jin took out another gift box from his bag and handed it to me, saying, "That one was just a joke, this one is the real one."

I took it from Chen Jin, opened it and looked inside. It was a luxury watch, worth over ten thousand yuan.

"If this watch isn't a knock-off, then it's such a waste of money!"

“Longines, the real deal… I know you’ll be traveling for business lately, so a nice watch will make you look good!… You’ve been wearing that one since we were working in Shanghai, haven’t you?”

I nodded, and Chen Jin raised his glass to me, then said very seriously, "Happy Birthday."

...

Everyone was already quite drunk, and I had drunk quite a bit too. I felt a bit unwell from the alcohol, so I sat down alone under a tree and lit a cigarette. While trying to soothe myself, I also thought about the advertising business that I was about to collaborate with "Cangshan Yishu".

In any case, traditional advertising has declined. Making a small profit is not a problem, but it is definitely not a business I want to do for the long term.

I want a tool that can coordinate the entire market in Dali and then profit from it.

However, at this stage, this is just a concept. I'm not entirely sure how to actually "operate" it, so I still need to continue exploring the market.

...

Why are you sitting here all by yourself?

I looked up and saw that the person I was talking to was Nicole.

I made room for her and waited until she sat down before replying, "Thinking about something?"

"Work or relationship?"

"He must be working."

Nicole nodded and said, "Let's have a drink. I have something to tell you after we finish."

I drank the wine in my glass with doubt, and Nicole finished hers as well. Then she said to me, "I've discussed your withdrawal from Women's Flower with Ye Zhi, Cao Xue, and me... We've decided to give you 350,000 yuan in cash in one lump sum... If you're not satisfied, we can discuss it further."

"I'm very satisfied; it's already a very high return on investment."

"Are you sure there are no other requests?"

"No."

"Then I'll go to the bank tomorrow to transfer the money to you. Just give me your bank account number now."

Who paid for this?

"All of us shareholders contributed, but Ye Zhi contributed the most."

I nodded and remained silent. After a while, Nicole seemed to remember something. She went back into the house, took out a bag, and said to me, "I received a package for you today. It's from overseas. It should be from Lu Jia, right?"

"Um."

"She remembered your birthday too, and it arrived today just in time."

"It wasn't a birthday present, it was her identification documents."

Why would I send you documents?

"She wants me to transfer the house I bought in Dali to her name... She doesn't feel safe with me."

As I spoke, I poured myself another glass of wine. At the same time, Nicole frowned and said to me, "I heard that the house you bought in Chengdu is also registered in her name... You're not even married yet, and you're in such a hurry to transfer the house in Dali to her name as well. Isn't that a bit inappropriate?"

“I also think it’s not a good idea, but I can understand her thinking… In fact, most women would think the same way, especially since she’s not young anymore… She’s pinned all her hopes on me, and she can’t afford to lose!”

"So, feeling guilty, you give her whatever she wants?"

“If she feels that doing this will make her feel safe... then I will grant her request... If I don’t agree, she will feel resentful, and that resentment will be the biggest hidden danger between us when we live together in the future.”

Nicole sighed, "I don't know why, but I just can't like women like Lu Jia. She seems too calculating and knows exactly what she wants."

"She was just protecting herself..."

Nicole seemed thoughtful, then chose to remain silent... As a woman, she must understand what I meant, but she is not quite the same as Lu Jia. The kind of relationship she pursues may be more innocent, but she also understands the phenomena in society.

Compared to other women, Lu Jia is already quite good.

...

The so-called "birthday party" is actually a platform for everyone to connect and get along, so I chatted with everyone I could talk to for a while, and of course, I drank quite a bit of alcohol. I don't know if I'm the only one who feels this way, but every time I drink to a certain extent, I become particularly open and bolder. This boldness may not be outwardly expressed, but I think about many things that I wouldn't normally dare to think about.

I can't forget Ye Zhi, so I imagine how wonderful it would be if she were with me on this birthday, just the two of us, drinking by Erhai Lake, talking about life and the people around us.

If we were still lovers, I would definitely choose the most comfortable bed that night and have sex with her... That would be even better, because sex is also a part of male-female relationships. I'm not that conservative, but I'm only willing to have sex with the person I love. This is different from Chen Jin, so he has to carry condoms with him at all times, while I would worry about how to use this box of condoms.

Looking at Yang Sisi chatting and laughing with others in the distance, I suddenly felt that this wasn't so bad.

Then I started to struggle with myself again: Could I really fall in love with two women at the same time?

I finally understand why Lu Jia lacked a sense of security; this is the answer. She must know in her heart that our relationship can never go back to what it was. I was just forcing myself to fulfill the promise I made to her back then, hoping to make amends.

I've thought deeply about whether I truly love Lu Jia.

The answer is yes, but the only one who could be loved was Michael, who was locked up in the big city. In that state, I would instinctively feel that falling in love with such a woman and then working hard to buy her a house was my destiny.

When destiny is broken, everything changes. This change penetrates to the very core of our being, much like the difference between Dali and Shanghai… Want to chat with more like-minded people about "My Tenant Miss"? Follow "Youdu Literature" on WeChat to read the novel, discuss life, and find kindred spirits!