The invitation message had been sent a moment ago, but Ye Zhi hadn't replied immediately. I felt a mix of nervousness and anticipation, and then I started to fidget, subconsciously pulling a cigarette out of my pocket and lighting it.
I'm trying to guess what Ye Zhi is thinking; maybe she's just being reserved.
Of course, this is an optimistic view. It's also possible that she finds such an invitation troublesome but doesn't know how to refuse me, which is why she hasn't replied to my message yet.
Or perhaps she's busy.
There is no fourth possibility.
...
After finishing her cigarette, Ye Zhi finally replied to the message: "If there are no unexpected matters to deal with in Shanghai, I will go to Dali."
My mood changed instantly, and I immediately sent her another message: "If you're sure you're coming, let me know in advance so I can go buy some groceries and prepare the New Year's Eve dinner."
"Can you cook there?"
"There's an induction cooker that can cook a few simple dishes. If you think that's not enough, you can also find a restaurant in Xiaguan to eat at."
"No need for all that trouble, just having the New Year's atmosphere is enough."
"That's easy. On New Year's Day, I'll find a few old men and women, set up a table for them at the door, and let them sit there to chat, play cards, and eat melon seeds... I'll also buy couplets and firecrackers. Since they're not allowed inside the old city, we'll set them off outside... Oh, right, when I was little, I loved to have gunfights during the New Year. Kids are the easiest to get involved with. You buy a gun, and as soon as the gun goes off, you shout 'Fight the Japanese devils!' and they'll all come running."
"You're such a chatterbox!"
"Haha... This reflects my mood. I was prepared to spend the New Year alone, but you said you could come... It was a wonderful surprise for me... When people are happy, they naturally become more talkative!"
"If you were alone, how would you plan to spend your time?"
"I'll just live like this, I won't think too much about it. I'll probably watch the Spring Festival Gala, or maybe I'll go find a shrewd customer to chat with."
"You won't skimp on cigarettes and alcohol, right?"
"Yeah, cigarettes and alcohol are a must... otherwise it's so boring!"
Ye Zhi seemed to suddenly become serious. She replied, "I might go... but whether I go or not, you should control your smoking and drinking... I think there are many other ways to relieve boredom besides smoking and drinking."
"So what do you do when you're bored?"
"I can work out or go shopping... but I'm usually not bored. I'm already very tired after finishing my work."
Although I was talking to Ye Zhi about very ordinary topics, I felt like I was getting into the swing of things... It was because we had let go of our previous awkwardness that we were able to communicate so naturally, and I could even feel her care for me in some of the details.
Before I knew it, it was already late at night. Ye Zhi took the initiative to end the chat so as not to disturb my rest. But even lying in bed with my eyes closed, I still felt like there was more to say.
I felt like I had come to a crossroads, and then I remembered the day I met Ye Zhi... Just like this world, perhaps it originated from the explosion of a single particle, and then there were galaxies, Earth, air, and every blade of grass and tree.
My relationship with Ye Zhi was similar. Because of that rainy night, I helped her change a tire, and she treated me to a meal. We became friends. Later, her hotel squeezed out my guesthouse, but we became more and more inseparable. So, she frequently traveled between Shanghai and Dali, and I also traveled back to Shanghai from Dali...
Perhaps, what's more wondrous than this world is the connection between people... In short, we met, and then planted a tree in each other's worlds. And this tree is growing leaves, sheltering a person's loneliness and protecting them from the dust of the mundane world.
After immersing myself in this state for a while, I finally fell asleep from exhaustion.
...
The next day, I didn't wake up until eight o'clock. In my memory, I hadn't slept so comfortably in a long time. And this comfort was entirely due to the change in my inner environment... Thinking that Ye Zhi was very likely to come to Dali for the New Year, I couldn't even remember how to write the word "loneliness".
After a flurry of internal thoughts, it was time to get down to business. So, after a quick wash, I skipped dinner and went to a copy shop near the commercial street to get a lease agreement.
I called Cao Xue; he told me that he had already informed Cao Jinbo about my contract signing, and that Cao Jinbo would come to Jiulongju at noon to talk to me in person.
I was surprised, but I didn't think it was a bad thing. I should talk to Cao Jinbo himself.
...
Back at the guesthouse with the printed contracts, I busied myself helping guests check in and out, and then assisted the cleaning lady in washing the bedding. Tonight will be the first time since the business opened that we've been fully booked...
This booming business brought money into my personal account like water... While I was excited, I also felt guilty, because I had never made money this way through speculation before.
...
Before I knew it, it was already past 11 o'clock. Only then did I have time to take out my phone and check it. The woman who had taken Lu Jia's number sent me another message, saying that she and her friend had boarded the train and would arrive in Changsha, Hunan tonight. They were going to Changsha for a while before going to Fenghuang.
I told them to be careful, and she didn't reply to my messages anymore... She's really something, creating all this mystery the closer it gets to our meeting; to be honest, she didn't need to report her itinerary to me, because I only treated her as my guest.
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