At the edge of the cliff, I gasped for breath, still shaken. Yang Sisi, who had been fearless just moments before, leaned against me, staring in terror at the branch I was still clinging to. Our coach, Ma, and the others opposite us were also terrified, their faces ashen as they stared at Yang Sisi and me.
I let out a heavy sigh of relief before releasing Yang Sisi. Looking at the tree branch, I said, "See this? This is our savior. If we hadn't grabbed it, can you imagine what would have happened? I really want to burn some incense right here. This was too damn dangerous. Just for this life-saving act, we should kowtow to this tree and call it 'Dad,' it wouldn't be too much to ask!"
Yang Sisi remained silent, her previous arrogant demeanor gone. At this moment, Tie Nan and the others finally reacted, rushing over and pulling Yang Sisi and me to a safe place.
I lay exhausted on the grass, more terrified than before. This was a life-or-death experience I had never had before. A sudden wave of despair washed over me. Even if I died, I feared only my parents would be heartbroken; others would only offer sympathy. After a while, I would be forgotten, along with everything I had done while alive. And Lu Jia? Would she genuinely grieve for me?
I thought about it for a long time and realized that her attitude was what I cared about most! This made me even more disappointed, because she would have a new boyfriend, a new life, and even start a new family. The answer was obvious: I was just a man she would eventually forget!
Twenty minutes passed before everyone came to their senses. The most amazing one was Coach Ma, who, out of professional instinct, captured the entire scene of our perilous ordeal with his camera. He said that such photos would definitely win an award if submitted to an exhibition; they were incredibly rare! We unanimously cursed him as a "profit-driven beast."
After that near-miss, everyone became more cautious, and the subsequent photoshoots were all taken in completely safe locations. Yang Sisi and I seemed to have grown closer, and the photoshoot went much more smoothly.
At 11 o'clock, we finished taking all the photos. While Yang Sisi went to the car to change her clothes, I said to Tie Nan and Coach Ma, "When Yang Sisi asks later where to eat, just say Golf Garden Hotel."
Tie Nan looked puzzled and replied, "It's only right to treat you guys to a meal for this job, but is it really necessary to go to such a high standard? We're all on the same side, and I'll be honest, even though we've been working hard all day, the money we've earned isn't enough to afford a meal there."
I quickly replied, "Don't worry, we don't need to pay anything. Her parents are waiting for her there. They came to Dali to take her away; they hope she can choose to study abroad at the right time."
Seemingly touched by my words, Tie Nan remained silent for a long time before replying: "Most people in this world still live in a highly uniform reality!"
I nodded, lit a cigarette, and then stopped talking.
...
A short while later, Yang Sisi changed her clothes, and Tie Nan drove us all towards the "Golf Garden Hotel." We hadn't gone far when Lao Huang texted me again, saying they had landed and were on their way to the hotel. I calculated the distance; they would arrive before me. Good, I'd dropped Yang Sisi off; my mission was complete, saving me the agony of waiting there.
I took out my phone, found a restaurant on a food ordering website, and booked a table for four. Of course, I didn't include Yang Sisi in the reservation, and I comforted myself not to blame myself too much, because a woman like Yang Sisi is simply not suited for Dali. She's a woman with an aura of her own; she should have a grander vision for life. Once she's grown up, she should understand the choice I made for her at this moment.
As I was thinking, I closed my eyes and pretended to sleep. I didn't want to talk to anyone anymore. This was probably the first time I felt tired since I came to Dali. This kind of tiredness came from my heart and had nothing to do with my body.
"Hey, are you really asleep?"
As Yang Sisi asked, she nudged me with her hand, but I ignored her. She then pinched my waist, and I realized I couldn't keep up the act any longer. I opened my eyes and looked at her, asking in a less than pleasant tone, "What?"
"I just wanted to thank you. I shouldn't have been so stubborn; we almost died just now, it's really scary to think about!"
"Good people don't live long, but bad people live a thousand years. Don't worry, you won't die that easily." I said, shifting my position and looking out the car window.
Yang Sisi pinched me again, wanting me to look at her, and then said, "I really want to thank you, but I don't know how."
I glared at her, then looked at the spot where she had pinched me.
She quickly reached out and rubbed my arm, then squinted her eyes and smiled at me in a cute way.
Then I said to her, "If you really want to thank me, give me all the money you earned this morning. I really like this stuff."
"Tsk, no way, I like this stuff even more than you do now. I plan to stay in Dali for a long time, and if I get swindled out of all my money by you, I might as well have just fallen off and died."
I was really annoyed by her words, and my tone became impatient as I replied, "Can you please stop talking to me? I got up so early this morning, and now I really want to take a nap. I really don't need you to thank me; I'd be grateful if you just let me have some peace and quiet."
"Sleep well, I'll grant you sweet dreams, and then we're even. Hehe!"
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