A melancholy mood lingered in the small bar before their departure, so when Coach Ma went back to his room to pack, no one spoke much. Soon, dusk, too, slowly descended amidst this melancholy…
I saw the golden sunlight falling on the white curtains, and suddenly I felt even more sad.
I lit a cigarette, and after smoking half of it, I asked Bai Lu, "Have you decided which city to go to?"
"Drive along the Yunnan-Tibet Highway, and stop wherever you feel comfortable."
I forced a smile and said, "That's quite a brilliant idea!"
Bai Lu's eyes were filled with tears. Her gaze swept across our faces, and then she choked out, "You should live a carefree life in Dali. Don't make the two of us who are gone worry about you."
Taozi placed her hand on Bailu's leg and said softly, "We're fine. Once we get through this period, everything will be alright."
Bai Lu nodded, then shifted her gaze to Tie Nan. After a moment of silence, she said, "Be good to Tao Zi. My friend has had a tough time; you can't let her down, understand?"
Tie Nan glanced at Tao Zi and replied firmly, "No, she is everything to me. I exist only because of her."
Bai Lu smiled, then fell into a brief silence. Not long after, Coach Ma came out of his room carrying his luggage…
Tie Nan took the box from his hands and sighed, "You've been in Dali for so many years, and when you finally left, all you had was a guitar and a box?"
"Um."
"Should I say you're pathetic, or that you're stingy? You haven't bought yourself anything decent all this time!"
Coach Ma glanced down at the suitcase, then smiled and said, "I think it's great. The less stuff you have, the easier it is to travel, right?"
Tie Nan first pursed his lips, then patted Coach Ma on the shoulder, clearly feeling incredibly upset. After a moment, he said to Coach Ma, "When you get out, take good care of Bai Lu, and be kind to yourself too..."
"Um."
Tie Nan touched his nose, and without warning, he burst into tears. He patted his chest hard and choked out, "When I make it big in Dali someday... I'll bring you two back... We'll buy a big villa by Erhai Lake, and every day we'll live a life of luxury and revelry... Others can only envy us, no one lives as freely as us."
Coach Ma forced a smile and said, "Stop bragging to your buddies... You might be able to do some small business, but you really can't make a big business that can buy you a villa!"
"Could you give me some face?...Could you...could you..."
As Tie Nan spoke, he punched Coach Ma repeatedly... Coach Ma dodged two punches, then stopped and hugged Tie Nan tightly. The two grown men burst into tears in front of everyone... Perhaps others couldn't understand, but I understood their bond. These two had been poor and destitute together, had faced despair together. For them, losing the other was like losing their left hand to their right—it hurt so much, it was so difficult to adjust! Amidst their cries, Tao Zi and Bai Lu also wiped away tears, clearly unable to bear the sadness of parting.
...
Tie Nan and I loaded Coach Ma's luggage into Bai Lu's car. Just as I was about to wish them a safe journey, Coach Ma said to me in front of everyone, "Michael, before I leave, I need a word from you... When Bai Lu and I come back, can you make sure all of these people are here... not a single one is missing?!"
I paused for a moment, then smiled and said to him, "No problem... Go ahead and go... We'll wait for you here."
Coach Ma nodded vigorously, and then got into the car before the White Dew solar term.
Before getting into the car, Bai Lu seemed to remember something. She called me aside and said, "I was thinking of calling Sisi, but she's more emotional than you guys. If she comes to see us off, she'll definitely feel even worse... So after we leave, could you tell her for us?"
"Yes, I know."
"Actually, I have a lot to say to you... but feelings are something no one else can explain. It all depends on your own interactions and attitudes... Personally, I'm especially moved by Sisi... Think about it, these days, when men and women get together, they're either testing each other or their minds wander. There aren't many who would choose to throw themselves into it... But Sisi is just that kind of girl... meeting her is a huge blessing for you."
I sighed softly, but didn't know what to say...
What are you so afraid of?
“I’m afraid of girls who are much better than me… I can’t quite put my finger on how I feel, and I have a lot of worries about this and that.”
"If I really asked you to find a girl who is average in every way, I'm afraid you wouldn't be happy, would you?"
"It's hard to say!"
Bai Lu shook her head and smiled. Just as she was about to say something more to me, a white Buick Envision sped up from a distance and stopped next to Bai Lu's Volvo. Bai Lu's face immediately turned ugly.
I realized something was wrong and asked Bai Lu with concern, "What's wrong?"
“That’s my cousin’s car…my parents are inside it.”
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