After I politely declined, Yang Sisi's father didn't press me any further. That's how men should interact; they can discuss anything openly, and once a decision is reached, they shouldn't dwell on it unnecessarily.

After sitting there for a while, Yang Sisi's father said to me, "Go ahead and do your own thing. I'll take a walk around here by myself."

"Okay, if you need any help, feel free to call me anytime."

As I spoke, I stood up from the rocks. I really wanted to leave because I was afraid he would talk to me about Yang Sisi. But it was precisely for this reason that I couldn't leave with a clear conscience. How could he not talk to me about Yang Sisi?

Finally, I mustered up the courage to ask him, "Uncle, is Sisi alright?"

"As someone who's been through this, this is how I understand it: since you've never truly accepted her in your heart, then don't ask me about her anymore. It's better for both of you..."

I stood still.

Yang Sisi's father smiled and said to me, "The thing in this world that can't be forced is the relationship between people, so I don't mean to blame you at all... On the contrary, I think this is not a bad thing for Sisi. People always have to grow up... Otherwise, she will always naively think that she is the center of the world and that everyone must live according to her wishes."

"I don't think Sisi is such a self-centered person."

“I don’t know what she’s like in front of you… but as her parents, we have this feeling… I hope that after this experience, she can be more mature and recognize herself. She will also be a mother in the future, and she can’t always be so willful and irresponsible.”

After saying that, he waved to me, signaling me to leave.

I felt terrible. I wanted to say something more, but I realized there was really nothing left to say.

...

Having walked quite a distance, my injured leg was intermittently aching and weak. I sat on the platform outside the hotel, rubbing it with my hands, and stared blankly at Haidong New City, which was covered by a pink cloud...

It's called Haidong New City, but compared to the already developed Haixi area, it still seems rather deserted. Apart from a few villa areas, there are only some commercial buildings under construction...

So I let my imagination run wild, envisioning what it would be like once those commercial complexes were all in operation...

What are you thinking about?

I suddenly came to my senses, and the person standing next to me was Ye Zhi.

Looking at her, I couldn't help but feel sorry for her... and that feeling immediately showed in my eyes.

Why are you looking at me like that?

I quickly wiped my face with my hand, and once I was back to normal, I smiled and said, "Do you know that there's a kind of bird in this world? It has incredibly beautiful wings, but it can't fly. It willingly stays confined in a..."

Everyone in the cage said she was beautiful, but she just couldn't fly.

Ye Zhi smiled and replied, "What difference does it make whether a bird in a cage can fly or not?"

"Flying is a bird's nature."

“There are always exceptions. The peacock is the kind of bird you’re talking about. Even if you open the cage, it might not be able to fly.”

"It's not a peacock. The value of a peacock lies in its own beauty; but this bird, she has the ability to fly, and she loves the sky, but she carries too many things in her heart. She's afraid that once she takes flight, she'll forget all of these things. She feels that everything she's experiencing now is fate, so she dares not resist..."

"Do you know that there is another kind of bird in this world that flies its whole life, but it is not happy, because it has seen thousands of mountains and rivers, but there is no place that is truly its home..."

I smiled and replied, "Is this a verbal argument?... I know you're mocking me because this bird has no legs at all. It can only fly around. It claims to be free, but it can never find a sense of belonging in its entire life."

"Look at you, you're always so sensitive!"

“It really is like me. If life is a long journey, I really want to stop in Dali and rest. But because of this leg, I can only go to Thailand. Even if I don’t go to Thailand, I have to go to big cities like Beijing and Shanghai. After drifting around, I still don’t have a decent home.”

Ye Zhi pondered for a moment, then asked me in a low voice, "Do you really want to have a home here?"

I dream about it.

Ye Zhi nodded, then looked up at the pink sky without saying anything more...

...

After chatting for a bit, Ye Zhi and I agreed to meet at the South Gate of the ancient city at 9 PM that evening, then drive together to Kunming, and from Kunming fly to Bangkok together. Therefore, I had to finish this long-awaited dinner with Tie Nan and the others within three hours.

It's been such a long time. If I think about it, it's been more than two years since Tie Nan and I last ate together.

...

After wandering around the ancient city, I bought a carton of "Liqun" cigarettes at a tobacco and liquor store. Then I met Coach Ma at the agreed-upon place. I wanted to have dinner at "Gurong Club," the best restaurant in the ancient city, but Coach Ma said he had already contacted Tie Nan, who wanted to go to "Yeyu Road" for some skewers.

I asked, "Who else?"

Coach Ma said, "It's just the three of us."

...

When we met again, Tie Nan had changed his clothes and looked very smart. We chose a relatively quiet barbecue restaurant and sat at an open-air table.

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