It was already midnight. After sending the message, I wasn't sure if Ye Zhi would reply, so after waiting for ten minutes, I prepared to go to sleep... But such a late night is ultimately empty, especially after a fulfilling day, this emptiness after being idle is even more prominent.
When I opened my music player, the first song was "Goodbye 20th Century," which made me think of the years I've been friends with Wang Lei. The warmth she gave me seemed to come unexpectedly, so I didn't pay much attention to it at the time. It wasn't until she left that I realized that behind all those unexpected gestures was her wholehearted sincerity.
I didn't dare let myself dwell on this feeling of regret, so I quickly scrolled down the playlist and listened to a relatively soothing English song. I told myself to look forward to my current life, but one day, I will still share every little thing about Dali with the deceased Wang Lei. I will not forget her, nor will I forget my promise to her. I really tried my best to live in Dali.
After being in a daze for a while, my phone, which was lying next to me, finally vibrated. I picked it up and saw that it was a message from Ye Zhi: "I'm in Venice now, and I might spend the New Year here."
"Going on vacation?"
"No, it's for work."
"Oh, if you can go back to China, you should try to do so. There's no festive atmosphere like you're celebrating the New Year abroad!"
"If I can finish my work, I'd like to go back... How are things going on your end?"
"The matter has been resolved. The first wave of customers came today, so we're officially open for business... You might not believe it, but Cao Xiaobei was the one who delivered the keys to me in the end."
"He is Cao Jinbo's son?"
"Yes, but I don't think this matter is as simple as it seems on the surface... Sisi might have helped behind the scenes!"
"She has always cared about you."
Ye Zhi's words were worth considering, so I didn't reply to her message immediately... After thinking it over, I realized I shouldn't have brought it up with her, because our relationship was quite delicate. So, when I messaged her again, I changed the subject: "Venice is a famous water city, is it really as attractive as the legends say?"
"It's a very comfortable place. I don't know if this is the attraction you mentioned."
A moment later, Ye Zhi sent another picture message. The picture showed her hand, which was holding a lot of leaves.
I asked, "Did you find this in Venice?"
"Okay, I'll give it to you next time we meet."
A scene involuntarily popped into my mind: on a canal in Venice, a beautiful woman sat in a white boat, leaves falling one by one onto the water and onto her boat. She bent down to pick them up, and that's how the picture she just sent came about... The imagery was so beautiful, it touched my heartstrings and made me feel warm.
I replied, "I didn't expect you to remember what I said last time... Is this your way of supporting my career?"
"It's no trouble at all for me. I'm glad I could help you."
"It can definitely help... The Champs-Élysées-themed room we set up before received very high praise from guests, especially when they learned that the leaves were collected from the Champs-Élysées. They thought the idea was great and said it felt very immersive... It's a pity that it was just a temporary inn; I really want to continue to develop this idea in the future!"
"Good luck... I have something to do here, I have to talk to you later."
"Okay, you can go ahead and get busy."
I ended my chat with Ye Zhi like that, but I felt there was still something I hadn't asked her. If she were to return to China for the Chinese New Year, would she spend it alone or with her family? In the end, I couldn't bring myself to ask. I put my phone on my pillow and closed my eyes.
I couldn't fall asleep immediately; images of the Lunar New Year vaguely floated into my mind... At that time, every house was lit up, and fireworks lit up the sky! But the only thing missing was a woman who could go home with me.
...
The next day, I got up early and dealt with checking out and picking up guests. The room was cleaned by the cleaning lady. It wasn't tiring, just a bit tedious... But seeing the money being deposited into my account gave me a lot of motivation.
When I have free time, I think about what to do with this money. Or, I might use Jiulongju as my base and find a business that can last.
...
During lunch, I received another call from Lao Mi. Without even thinking, I knew what it was about...
I answered the call, and he asked me, "Have you eaten?"
"Eating now... How's things at home lately?"
"We've got all the New Year's goods ready, and your mom and I have bought our clothes too. Now we're just waiting for the New Year... How's your preparation going?"
"I've been too busy lately and haven't even had time to think about New Year's shopping. I'll take some time to go to the supermarket tonight."
"Hurry up, things get more expensive as the year draws to a close..." After a slight pause, Old Mi asked again, "Have you finalized things with Xiao Ye? ...Are you going to bring her home to visit after the New Year?"
I smiled sheepishly and said, "Didn't I tell you last time... her work arrangements are unpredictable. Even if we agree on something now, something might happen and it could fall through... let's wait until I get back to discuss it further."
Old Mi didn't say anything, which made me even more guilty. I said again, "Do you think I'm lying to you?... If you don't believe me, you can ask Dai Qiang... She went on a business trip abroad again in the last couple of days."
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