With the help of the sales clerk and An'an, I suddenly felt a sense of smoothness after the change. I nodded and smiled at the sales clerk to express my gratitude... But I still felt a little uncomfortable. I didn't know who had bought the watch. I had come to see it countless times, and subconsciously, I felt that I should have bought it here.

As I walked out of the duty-free shop, An'an pushed a motorcycle towards me, which surprised me a bit. I asked her, "Did you come by motorcycle?"

"Yeah, Brother Ping rented it for me... I'll definitely be riding a motorcycle now that I'm in Thailand."

"That's true. In Thailand, people mainly get around by motorcycle... It's a pity I haven't had the chance to ride a motorcycle around the island yet."

"Can you ride this motorcycle?"

I took a look and saw that the motorcycle An'an had rented was the simplest kind, where you could operate the accelerator and brake by hand. So I nodded and replied, "This kind of motorcycle is fine."

"Then you ride, I'll sit behind you."

...

An'an and I put on our helmets and headed from Shilla Duty Free to King Power Duty Free. Although there was no sea view along the way, the colorful clouds were intoxicating. This is the scenery of Phuket. As long as it doesn't rain, every evening is like an oil painting.

We stopped at a traffic light intersection. The traffic light design here is a bit different from the logic in China; the longest light has a 00-second wait. An'an, worried that my legs wouldn't be able to support the weight, took the initiative to use her own legs to balance the motorcycle. That's when I realized how incredibly long her legs are; no wonder she studied acting—her physique is impeccable!

While waiting for the light to come on, An'an asked me, "Such an expensive watch, you certainly didn't give it to your cousin, did you?"

"no……"

"Ye Zhi?"

"Well... this is the last promise between her and me... she wants me to be happy, so I'll show her."

"You still can't let her go?"

"I really don't want to answer this question."

"Because it's such an obvious thing... Don't all men have this kind of obsession... The more unattainable something is, the harder it is to forget it?"

“I don’t want to be that kind of person… I don’t feel like I’ve never truly had her… but there’s no formula to calculate feelings between people, so she lives within that set of rules, and I live within this set of rules… and there’s no hope of us being together…”

As I spoke, I raised my arm and said to An'an, "This is the green Submariner she gave me. I've come to regard it as the most precious thing I have... because every time I look at it, I don't feel that there are any regrets between us... not every couple in love in this world has to be together... I've already let go of this relationship in my heart."

"And what about the future?... You're not planning to spend the rest of your life alone, are you?"

I laughed, "Are you going to bring up Yang Si again?"

"Think...and then persuade us to be together?"

"I think you probably won't be with her anymore."

Why do you say that?

"Because she must care a lot about your feelings for Ye Zhi... and you also have such concerns in your heart. After all, you still have many decades to live. If this is a thorn in your heart, it will prick you sooner or later."

I stared at the cars in the opposite lane for a while before replying to An'an, "I do feel that way... So, I've thought about finding a stranger and starting a relationship without any burdens... But it's not the right time yet. I feel like I have too many things to do."

"But you're almost 0 years old... Don't you feel any pressure about the passage of time?"

“Definitely… So when my cousin got married, I hesitated for a long time about whether or not to go back… I feel like he is a mirror of me. Only when he is around do others see my worst side… Especially in a county town, public opinion cannot tolerate older single people who are not married.”

An'an fell silent. I felt her hand on my waist loosen its grip, then suddenly tighten its hold on me again... I thought she was tired from supporting herself on the ground.

...

After waiting for about four minutes, the red light finally turned green. I twisted the accelerator hard and followed a bunch of motorcycles to the next intersection. I was quite anxious because I was afraid that by the time I got there, the duty-free shop would be closed, and I would really not have time to fulfill my wish.

Just as I accelerated past a speeding car, An'an suddenly hugged me tightly from behind... I asked her, "Was I driving too fast?"

She didn't answer until her face was pressed against my back, at which point I sensed something was wrong. I was startled and instinctively slowed down... It wasn't until a car behind me honked that I suddenly realized what was happening and quickly pulled over.

I turned to look at An'an, and there were tears on her face...

As we looked at each other, she choked up and asked me, "Michael, do you look down on women like me?"

I paused for a moment, then replied, "You didn't look down on me when I was delivering food... I think we have a very equal friendship."

What if I don't want to be friends with you anymore?

"I...I don't quite understand what you mean?"

An'an avoided my gaze. The wind blew past us relentlessly, a refreshing feeling. Then time seemed to stand still, the crowd seemed to stand still, only the flashing neon lights continued to breathe...

No, it was An'an breathing in my ear. I could almost hear her heartbeat. I felt helpless and a little panicked.

I was also very flustered.

In this indescribable atmosphere, she finally whispered to me, "I think I've fallen in love with you... At first, I wasn't sure, but today you told me..."

When we contact each other less often in the future, I feel an indescribable sadness... I'm terrified that you'll be gone from my life... I'm really panicked, but I'm also a little happy... because I can finally like a normal man and pursue a normal love, like a normal woman... When I see you, I find myself yearning for life, yearning for a warm home... Maybe you won't find a woman like me appealing, because the women around you are all better than me... But I feel that I am the most suitable woman for you... I don't have Lu Jia's material wealth, I'm not as unattainable as Ye Zhi, and I'm not as idealistic as Yang Sisi... but I am the most just right, and I'm willing to accompany you in this most just right way... Let's be the simplest and happiest couple together... Okay?"

(End of Chapter)