After texting that woman, I opened another can of beer and waited for her reply while drinking it. Finally, just as I was about to finish the beer, she replied: "You're being nosy, aren't you? What business is it of yours whether the child was aborted or not?"

"Can you please stop being so harsh every time you speak?... I really just want to show you some concern. I think it's tough for you to be going through this."

"Whether it's difficult or not is my own business, and none of you can help me... I know I shouldn't have kept this child, but I still feel terrible. After all, it's a life that grew inside me, and I couldn't take responsibility for it."

"Actually, you already have the answer in your heart, it's just a matter of time."

"I really want to drink right now!"

"Given your current health condition, you shouldn't drink it."

This time, it took a long time for the other person to reply: "Don't talk about me... Have you had any particularly unlucky things happen to you these past few days that you can share with me? So I can find some balance in my heart."

"These past two days have been mostly good, with nothing really going wrong. Our guesthouse is confirmed to be able to reopen in November."

"Did your family agree to let you stay in Dali?"

“My family isn’t unreasonable. After we talked to them properly, they were willing to give me a chance.”

"Hehe, then congratulations... I hope you can make something of yourself in Dali."

"It's a perfectly good thing, but how come it sounds completely different coming from your mouth?"

"Didn't you say yourself that you lived a miserable life in Shanghai? Although my words are harsh, I am just stating the facts."

Looking at the message, I smiled helplessly, then replied with some emotion: "The longer I stay, the deeper my understanding of Dali becomes... In fact, wherever there are people, there is a world of intrigue, and wherever there is intrigue, there is competition for interests... Take our inn, for example. The situation is great right now, and people are actively coming to us to talk about investing. If it were an inn that didn't know when it would be able to reopen, even if we talked ourselves hoarse, people would still have to think twice before investing... In this respect, there's no difference between here and Shanghai."

"Pursuing fame and fortune is human nature, there's nothing to complain about."

“I understand this principle, but I did not accept that person’s investment… although in the long run, his investment would be more beneficial to our inn… because he works for the Environmental Protection Bureau, and if we want to expand in the future, we will inevitably have to deal with him.”

"Are you stupid?"

“The other shareholders of the inn also disagreed. I think it’s not easy for everyone to get together to do this, and there’s no need to ruin our harmony over this.”

"You're too emotional...you don't seem like the kind of man who can achieve great things."

"Maybe... I seem to have become more sentimental since coming to Dali... By the way, if you really can't keep that child, go to the hospital for an abortion as soon as possible. The longer you delay, the more harm it will do to you!"

"Aren't you afraid of incurring bad karma by advising others to abort their children?"

I paused for a moment before replying, "I'm advising you to take care of your health... If you can keep the baby, I would certainly suggest you keep it... I think you should talk to your ex-boyfriend and see what he has to say; he bears more responsibility in this matter than you do."

"What's there to say to a cheating man... I wish he were dead. Even saying another word to him feels like a waste of the air I breathe."

"Your sexuality is way too strong!"

After my exclamation, she said nothing more. But I'm certain that since she's unwilling to confront her ex-boyfriend, the poor child is most likely doomed.

I couldn't help but marvel at the wonder of fate; the same number, used by two completely different personalities! Gradually, I stopped feeling any connection between this number and Lu Jia, and no longer felt it belonged to her. Because the new owner of this number was so unique, she gave me a very strong sense of detachment.

...

When I returned to the guesthouse from Erhai Lake, I noticed that the light was still on in Lao Mi's room, so I knocked on the door to ask him what he had eaten that night and if he wanted some late-night snacks.

Old Mi opened the door for me, and I asked him, "What did you have for dinner?"

“I saw there were still some leftover noodles in your kitchen, so I cooked them.”

"Look at you, we asked you to come eat with us but you won't. This food is so unhealthy and you'll get hungry easily... I'll order you some late-night snacks."

"No need... I have something to tell you."

I went into Old Mi's room and sat down on the sofa, while Old Mi sat in the chair opposite me. He was silent for a moment before saying to me, "I just spoke to your mother on the phone, and I told her everything that's been going on here."

A sudden surge of nervousness washed over me, and I asked, "What did my mom say?"

“Your mom doesn’t have much of her own opinion, she’ll just listen to whatever I say… But I can tell she’s unhappy and worried about you… When I get home, give her a call and talk to her about it. I’ll try to persuade her, and she’ll gradually come to terms with it.”

I lowered my head and replied, "I understand what you mean."

"Then I'll go back tomorrow."

I looked up at Lao Mi and quickly said, "Why are you in such a hurry to go back... Stay here for a couple more days. It's your own inn anyway, so it doesn't cost you any money."

Old Mi shook his head and replied, "I'm worried about your mother being home alone... Even though we argue sometimes, over time, we're like the palm and back of our hands; neither of us can support the family without the other... Our generation was simple; we just made do and got by. Life may not have been very fulfilling, but it was peaceful... If you could give us some hope, we would have no regrets in this life... People don't need to live such complicated lives!"

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!