As the passersby watched, Yang Sisi hugged me tighter. I felt a tenderness, followed by an unreal touch. I didn't understand how this feeling arose if she really liked me, or whether I was worthy of her affection.
Or perhaps she simply mistook dependence for affection? After all, she's still at an immature age; she's prone to impulsiveness and easily deceived by appearances.
I finally spoke to her, saying, "Sisi, let go..."
“I won’t let go, and I don’t want to hear what you’re saying… I know what you’re going to say to me.”
You're going to miss your flight.
"Come with me, let's go back to Shanghai."
"Don't be ridiculous. Even if I were to go back to Shanghai, it wouldn't be now... I still have a lot of things to do."
"Then I'll stay in Dali and wait for you."
After Yang Sisi finished speaking, she finally let go of me and then looked at me with an expectant gaze... This gaze put a lot of pressure on me and forced me to tell her what was on my mind.
“Sisi, don’t talk to me about waiting… Lu Jia waited for me for three years, but I couldn’t give her anything she wanted… So, I can’t give you anything you want either… I can’t go back to Shanghai, and studying abroad is your destiny, so neither of us is the kind of person who can wait for the other.”
Yang Sisi looked at me with an extremely complicated expression. After a moment of silence, I said to her again, "Calm down, calm down... Maybe you won't think this way in the future."
"I really wish I could stop thinking like this, but people can't control their emotions."
"Yes...you're right. Like me, I still think of Lu Jia, especially recently, with new choices in my life, I think about her more and more often."
Yang Sisi cried again...
She's a smart girl; she knows what I mean by saying that.
I patted her on the back and said with a smile, "Your luggage is checked in, hurry up and board the plane... See you again sometime."
She really calmed down, glanced at me, and then ran back into the terminal. As I pondered her last look, I realized that you can really exert force with your eyes; she really did give me a hard look.
...
Outside the airport's security fence, I lit a cigarette and glanced at my watch... Not long after, a plane plunged from the airport runway into the clouds. I knew Yang Sisi was inside, because Dali's airport isn't very big, and there aren't many flights taking off and landing each day, so it's unlikely that two planes will take off within ten minutes.
As the plane completely disappeared from my sight, my heart felt empty... I wondered who would be the next to say goodbye after Yang Sisi left. And who would come to see me off on the day I left?
...
Back at the inn, everyone was sitting in the bar. As soon as I entered, they asked me with concern, "Has Sisi boarded the plane yet?"
I tossed my car keys on the table, feeling my mouth dry. I took a sip of beer before replying, "I watched the plane take off."
There was a hint of reluctance on everyone's faces, but knowing that this parting was inevitable, no one voiced their feelings. They simply asked me, "Did this girl cry when she left?"
I laughed and replied, "It's not like those melodramatic novels where people hug each other all the time or burst into tears all the time... She seemed pretty calm." After thinking for a moment, I added, "Maybe she's a little sad inside."
Coach Ma coldly replied, "She's not crying because her heart is bleeding... Seriously, I'm not trying to be mean, but I really can't see a shred of humanity in you guys!"
Although Coach Ma's words shocked the group, everyone chose to remain silent because our choice was heartless. We let Yang Sisi down, choosing to benefit ourselves, while she was the most vulnerable among us, and also the one who most wanted to stay in Dali.
My mood plummeted. I finished my beer and said to everyone, "You guys keep talking... I'm going back to my room to sleep for a while."
Everyone responded and then fell silent again. I knew that Yang Sisi's departure was also a hardship for them.
...
As I walked out of the inn, Xiao Song, who had come to pick up the car, called out to me, "Brother, did you forget something in the car? I just checked the car and found a box inside."
"I'll go take a look."
Xiao Song opened the car door for me, and I took the box out from the back seat. Inside, I found a pair of basketball shoes, which was exactly my size 43.
I hesitated for a moment, then said to Xiao Song, "I didn't buy basketball shoes. Did someone leave them in the car?"
"Take another look. Didn't you just take that girl to the airport? Wasn't this left by her?"
I picked up the shoes; underneath was a letter that read: "Michael, by the time you see these shoes, I'll probably already be on a plane… Although we always bicker, I'm actually quite sad to part ways… Haha, I guess that's normal. After all, we live together every day. Even if you're an old dog and I'm a kitten, we'll still have feelings for each other… I'm leaving, and I'm giving you these basketball shoes as a reminder to exercise more. Don't be like Coach Ma and Iron Man, those two lazybones. Their belly fat could be used as a swimming ring… As for you… in my heart, you're still kind of handsome!… smiley face… In this life, we might really never have the chance to meet again. I hope these shoes can always be with you, just like I'm by your side, accompanying you step by step, helping you walk steadily on every path ahead… Don't be smug. I don't want to put on such a humble posture in front of you, but what can I do? I'm like a bottle of skincare for you." Women who can be bought off with water?! ...Sigh! You better not remember me when I chickened out; I've always been arrogant and domineering... Speaking of arrogance and domineering, I just remembered something: you really can't be so impulsive and reckless in the future. Although women like heroes, this is still a society governed by law, and I'm really worried you'll get hurt... During the days you were in the police station, I couldn't sleep at night, wishing I could suffer with you! ...Okay, enough rambling... If you're still in Dali next spring, remember to pick a cherry blossom for me at Dali University and mail it to me. By the way, I scouted out Dali University; the basketball courts there are incredibly beautiful. When you play, you can see Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake, which would be perfect for the basketball shoes I gave you, so you must play basketball there often... Finally, I wish you find a girl on the basketball court who doesn't mind that you're poor...smiley face!
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