After leaving Dali University, I went to a bar in the old town and drank some beer until I felt dizzy. Then I left the bar and wandered around the old town alone. Around 10 o'clock, I went to the "Midnight Diner" that I had visited before.
Surprisingly, Ye Zhi was also there; it seems like it's been a long time since we've had such a chance encounter.
I ordered a braised pork rice and then shared a table with her. We both sat cross-legged on the cushions, and I said to her, "If you're not in a hurry to go back, I'll treat you to something else to drink."
"I'd like a hot milk."
I called the waiter over and ordered another hot milk for Ye Zhi. When the waiter left, he also took away the bowls and chopsticks that Ye Zhi had left behind. Only her car keys and our two cell phones were left on the table.
I told her, "We've agreed to transfer the guesthouse. The other party has already paid a deposit and will arrive in Dali in two days to sign the transfer agreement with us."
"Yes, it's fine."
I took a cigarette out of the pack and asked her if she minded. She said she didn't mind, so I lit it, took a deep drag, and said to her, "This afternoon, I took Sisi to the airport. She's going back to Shanghai."
"She should go back... However, I think she must have gained something from her time in Dali."
I forced a smile and replied, "Yes, I probably don't have the same princess-like temper as before. The front desk job is quite good at tempering one's temperament."
Did she mention when she was going abroad to study?
"She didn't say, and she probably won't stay in Shanghai for long... Her parents really hope she can go abroad as soon as possible."
"Why?"
I took another drag of my cigarette and replied, "She has a childhood sweetheart abroad, and her parents are quite supportive of them being together. The boy is also quite well-off... His father is my former boss, and his mother is the director of a top-tier hospital. They are also family friends of Sisi's family."
Ye Zhi glanced at me and said, "Is that so?"
"Yes, that's good... I've met that boy; he's very accommodating and understanding towards her, and her personality really needs someone with that kind of awareness..." After a slight pause, I added, "I hope they can be together happily in the future."
Ye Zhi smiled and said, "Don't you think you've said a bit too much?"
I was taken aback for a moment before realizing that I would never have talked about so many private things about Yang Sisi in front of her before. I hesitated for a moment before replying, "Maybe it's because she just left today and she's feeling a bit emotional... After all, we've known each other for quite a while now."
"Oh, maybe it's like this..."
Halfway through her sentence, Ye Zhi turned to look at the street outside the window, and I followed her gaze. It was a bustling scene of people coming and going...
Ye Zhi added with a touch of melancholy, "Dali is a nice place, but it can't keep people here... We're all just passing through!"
Her words saddened me. After a long pause, I stared at my hands, stained yellow with smoke, and replied, "Yes, we're all just passing through... Thinking about how the inn has been closed and Tie Nan and Tao Zi have gone to Chongqing, I don't really have the desire to stay any longer."
So you're planning to go back to your hometown?
"Yeah, many people who can't make it in Shanghai eventually choose to go back to their hometowns... I just went one step further than them... Haha, after staying in Dali for a while, I was able to earn a few hundred thousand yuan, which is kind of lucky. At least when I go back, I can buy myself a house... I don't know how many friends you have like me, but in fact, there are many people who live for a house. I have already achieved their life goal."
"Is this what you call being content with what you have?"
I squeezed the cigarette in my hand and chuckled wistfully, "Heh... I guess it doesn't count. It's just a way of comforting myself."
Ye Zhi didn't respond to me. Then she received her hot milk, and I received my braised pork rice... After that, we seemed to fall into a state of mutual hunger and thirst. We didn't talk much until I finished my braised pork rice and she drank half a cup of milk.
"Michael... if your parents ask me about me when you get home, what will you say?"
I stood there stunned for a full half minute before asking, "Yeah... how should I put it?... They haven't even seen through this lie yet!"
"So you should think about how to handle this before going back to your hometown."
I worried for a moment, then said nonchalantly, "It's okay... I only staged that whole thing because I wanted to stay in Dali... Now that I'm back in Shancheng, I can stay by their side and take care of them in their old age. They'll be overjoyed, they won't care about what happened before... Besides..."
"Besides what?"
I laughed heartily, "Besides, Old Mi never thought we could make it! ... Haha, he knows my own worth and what kind of woman I'm good enough for!"
My loud laughter drew the attention of the diners at the next table. Ye Zhi glanced at me awkwardly and then said, "That's good..."
I ordered another braised pork rice before changing the subject and asking Ye Zhi, "What about you? When are you leaving Dali?"
"I'll be done soon, in the next few days."
My heart sank again, and after a moment I asked, "Have you finished everything here?"
"Yes, the project has been fully negotiated."
"Wasn't it supposed to take six months?"
"The Dali 'government' now welcomes outside investment, especially large-scale investment, so the negotiations are going much more smoothly than expected, and it has taken quite a while."
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