06 Old Friends (1)

Jiang Yi had an urgent problem that needed to be solved, which was the people who surrounded him.

Li Yaya was right. Even if he could get away with it once, he couldn't do it every time. He felt very sad because he didn't know that the bar owner would fire someone else because of him. He didn't mean to affect other people's jobs.

But no matter what, it was definitely wrong for them to take action.

Should he ask the bar owner if he could let them go back? Or should he quit? Or should he look for other bars that need people? He only works in these few bars, so he doesn't have much say.

Singing in a bar is not Jiang Yi's long-term solution, but just a temporary way of survival. However, he would feel bad if it affected other people's lives.

After much thought, I couldn't find a good solution. My power was too limited. Never mind, the worst that could happen was I'd just get beaten up and call the police... In the end, I felt like throwing in the towel.

Even after being beaten, life still has to go on.

Li Yaya had been feeling uneasy today, as if something was about to happen. She was so distracted that she almost made the wrong payment several times at the cash register.

Taking advantage of the time when there were no customers, Sister Honghong hurriedly asked Yaya what was wrong and asked her to go to the back to rest if she was tired.

Li Yaya shook her head and said that she was fine, but she just felt inexplicably anxious.

The last time I felt this way was two years ago... Li Yaya asked Sister Honghong to help look after it while she went to make a phone call. Then, she walked towards the warehouse.

Sitting in a corner, Li Yaya dialed a phone number she hadn't contacted in a while. "Beep, beep, beep," the call went on, but no one answered. Just as Li Yaya was about to give up and find someone else to practice with, the call connected. "Hello, hello, is this Yaya?"

When the familiar voice sounded, Li Yaya's heart finally calmed down a little.

"Yes, it's me, grandma, I'm Yaya." There was a hint of sob in Li Yaya's voice.

Li Yaya is not a brave person. Most of the time, she insists on the idea that "escape is shameful but useful". The memories of the past are like thorns that cannot be pulled out, stuck in her mind and her heart.

The only way to avoid pain is to escape.

Working became her best excuse. She hadn't seen the old lady in over two years. She hadn't even dared to call her. The pain she felt for the old lady, who had lost a son in her old age and sent her child off, must be no less than hers. She didn't dare think about how many more years or years she had left.

After chatting for a while, Li Yaya said she had to go to work. Her grandmother asked her, "If you have time, can you come back to see me?"

After hesitating for a moment, he said, "Okay, I'll go back after a while."

After hanging up the phone, Li Yaya calmed down and went back to work.

Grandma is fine, so there is nothing or no one for her to worry about. That panic just now was quite inexplicable.

I left my emotions behind and started working busily again.

At 8:55, Li Yaya arrived at the bar where she worked.

The shop was already busy with a few customers. Li Yaya changed into her work clothes and stood in a corner, looking around, waiting for the work that might come at any time.

As she looked around, Li Yaya subconsciously glanced towards the stage. It seemed like she hadn't seen Jiang Yi for several days. She didn't know how the incident that day had been resolved.

Look at this person, he is so weird. He doesn’t reply when someone sends you a WeChat message, but he thinks that he hasn’t seen the person for a few days.

Humans are so complex and contradictory.

A group of people came in from the door, men and women, talking and laughing.

At first, Li Yaya felt envious when she saw such a group of people. They were of the same age, but why was there such a big gap between them?

But later I became numb and came to terms with it. People are different.

Li Yaya stepped forward, took out the drink menu and asked the guests what they needed.

Li Yaya moved skillfully, completely unaware that one of the men and women in the group had been staring at her the entire time. It wasn't until Li Yaya pulled out the drinks menu and finished the routine questioning that she tentatively asked, "Yaya?"

The bar was noisy, but at this moment, it seemed especially quiet to Li Yaya's ears.

Seeing that Li Yaya didn't respond, the other party asked again, "Are you Li Yaya?"

At this moment, Li Yaya wanted to escape.

But he could only bite the bullet, look at the other person, and greet him calmly and strongly, "Long time no see, Lin Jing."

Long time no see, Lin Jing.

How long is a long time?

Li Yaya is not sure, but Lin Jing is.

Apart from Li Jianren's funeral, Lin Jing watched silently a few times, and it has been 4 years.

Four years, not long, not short either. But the two people have changed drastically, and the youthfulness in their eyes is no longer there, and they are no longer familiar with each other.

Lin Jing looked at Li Yaya in front of him, and when he heard her say "Long time no see, Lin Jing", he choked up for a moment. He had imagined many scenes of reunion after a long separation, and he actually had a lot to say, but when the moment really came, he was only nervous and uneasy.

The people around them naturally noticed that the two knew each other and quickly asked who they were and what their relationship was. They chatted and laughed, as if to cheer them up. Lin Jing asked them to order first and asked Li Yaya if they could go out and talk.

Li Yaya took a look at the not-so-busy store and agreed.

She knew that there was no point in hiding from some people once she met them.

The two walked to the bar entrance, one in front and one behind. People behind them whispered and speculated about their relationship.

Now, the surroundings were completely quiet. The two stood aside, neither of them speaking first.

"I went to your house to look for you later, but there was no one there, not even during the Chinese New Year. I asked my mother to ask your aunt, and she just said that you went out to work, and no one knew where you went. I didn't expect to meet you here. Why did you come so far away?" Lin Jing spoke first. He had so many questions.

"I get three salaries for the Lunar New Year, so I didn't go back to earn more money. It's pretty much the same everywhere anyway."

It's the same everywhere anyway, she's alone anyway, anyway——

"I came here by accident. I wanted to find a place a little further away from home, and I ended up here by accident. How about you? How did you end up here?" Li Yaya remembered that Lin Jing's university was not here, nor in a nearby city.

"I made an appointment with my classmates to go on a graduation trip." The moment Lin Jing said this, he realized that he seemed to have said something wrong.

But Li Yaya looked expressionless, not affected at all by the words just said.

He knew very well that Li Yaya had taken a leave of absence and then dropped out of school one month after the start of the semester. Lin Jing was now full of regrets, wondering why he had said such a thing casually.

"Although this is only a third-tier city, the natural scenery is quite nice, and the snacks are also good. It's nice to come here for fun. But I haven't been there, so I can't recommend any places to you." Li Yaya forced herself to maintain a relaxed tone, downplaying it nonchalantly.

After a few more brief words, Li Yaya wanted to end the conversation quickly, saying she had work to do. Although Lin Jing had many questions to ask and many things to say, he knew in his heart that this was not the right occasion. "Okay, you go ahead and do your work. Let's add each other on WeChat and talk when you're free."

It’s not a question like “Can we add each other on WeChat?”, but an affirmative sentence like “Let’s add each other on WeChat.”

Unable to escape, Li Yaya took out her cell phone. Lin Jing watched her accept his friend request before letting her go.

Li Yaya first returned to the lounge, where her nervous heart finally relaxed. Could this be the reason for her inexplicable panic during the day?

After catching her breath for a while, Li Yaya managed to calm down. She had always been a timid person, and she really didn't want to wander through the crowd and let him and his friends cast their gazes, either kind or scrutinizing, on her.

She wanted to retain a last bit of decency and dignity.

Maybe it was ridiculous, but she just didn't want to. She didn't want to be completely exposed in front of Lin Jing; and she didn't want to be scrutinized, looked at, and discussed in front of Lin Jing's friends.

So, Li Yaya asked for leave from her manager, saying that she was not feeling well.

The manager was quite understanding. Ever since Li Yaya started working there, she'd been punctual and on time, never taking a single day off. Especially during holidays, on a normal, less busy day, taking a day off wasn't a big deal. He didn't even count Li Yaya's absence as a request, and simply let her go home to rest.

After thanking him, Li Yaya changed her clothes and quietly went out the back door.

Glancing at the time, it was five minutes past ten. It was so early, and Li Yaya felt a sense of emptiness, not knowing what to do. Sometimes, a busy part-time job is good; it leaves no time for random thoughts or melancholy.

The rainy season is almost over, and so is summer. That damp and hot feeling is finally coming to an end.

When will this damp and sultry life end?

Lin Jing was absent-minded in his booth. He kept searching for Li Yaya in the crowd, but couldn't find her. He felt a little panicked, afraid that she would disappear again.

The people traveling with him naturally noticed his absent-mindedness and couldn't help but tease him, "Hey, Lin Jing, what are you doing? You're not drinking or chatting. Are you thinking about that little girl just now?"

"Yeah, I'm thinking about her." Lin Jing's frank answer made his friends not know what to say in response.

There were both male and female friends among the group. The males had an understanding look on their faces, but there was a female whose expression changed slightly, and I don’t know what she was thinking.

During the four years of studying together, no one had ever seen Lin Jing in a relationship, not even in an ambiguous relationship.

Although Lin Jing is good at studying, good-looking, and has a good personality and temper, it's not that no one likes him.

Everyone kept joking about this friend who was not in a relationship.

It seemed like the doubts that had been hanging around for a long time suddenly had an answer. It turned out that this person had someone he had always been thinking about.

It turned out that he didn't like it.