I have never been in such a predicament. I was simultaneously receiving messages from Ye Zhi and Yang Sisi, and I didn't know how to reply. My "little ninja" that I had been with day and night suddenly turned into a hot potato. I couldn't bear to throw it away, but I felt like I would be burned to death if I ate it.
After experiencing so many ups and downs, I've discovered that these little emotions can also be quite torturous.
A moment later, I replied to Ye Zhi's message: "We'll see then. If the weather is nice, I'll pick you up on my motorcycle."
A while later, I replied to Yang Sisi's message: "Okay, I'm here as long as the car is here, I'm here if the car dies... How about you, how's it going to be your first time spending Chinese New Year abroad?"
...
After waiting for a while, Ye Zhi didn't reply, but Yang Sisi did. She said, "There are many international students here. On Chinese New Year's Day, we will also hold an overseas version of the Spring Festival Gala. I am honored to be one of the performers. When the New Year's bell rings, I will sing 'I Love You, China' with deep emotion in front of all the overseas Chinese and international students..."
"On behalf of my country, I am proud of you!"
"Tch... You're just a bystander. You can't even represent yourself, let alone the country!"
"It's the Lunar New Year, I don't want to argue with you... but don't push your luck!"
"I'm just pushing my luck... Come on, hit me! You think you can hit me? Haha, you little short-armed rascal!"
"It's not that I'm short-handed, it's that the cost of hitting you is too high. I would have to cross oceans, and even then, I might not be able to 'get' you there."
"You bastard... Why did you have to make it sound so sad when it was just a joke?"
"Sad?...I really wish I had short arms, so I could grab a fly swatter and slap you."
You're the fly!
I stubbed out my cigarette in the ashtray, then subconsciously lit another one. When I texted Yang Sisi again, I changed the subject. I said, "I'm sitting in Cao Xiaobei's coffee shop right now. Guess what his coffee shop is called."
"I can call him whatever name he wants, it's none of my business."
"Sheep Cafe... Is that any of your business?"
"He's crazy, giving himself such a name."
I didn't say much, but I sent Yang Sisi a screenshot of Cao Xiaobei's WeChat Moments post about giving away free pudding "milk tea" to customers at 10 pm.
I don't know why I did this, but deep down I envy Cao Xiaobei because he dares to express himself and is not bound by life. He can do something so romantic, which I can't do... For a long time, just surviving seemed to have exhausted all my energy. So, I also reflect on whether I was ever truly happy following Lu Jia, who was like me.
Just when I thought Yang Sisi would say something about it, she suddenly fell silent. So, having lost my chat partner, I also fell silent. I just fiddled with my lighter and let my mind wander.
...
After about ten minutes, Cao Xiaobei, who had been facing away from me, finally turned around. He was holding a cup in his hand. He walked over to me and said, "Free pudding milk tea at ten o'clock."
I exclaimed, "I thought that post you made on your WeChat Moments was a joke, but I didn't expect you to be so serious about it!"
"Otherwise what?"
How long do you think you can keep this up?
“The day she returned to Dali.” After a slight pause, Cao Xiaobei’s expression turned somber, and she continued, “Or, the day she married someone else.”
I nodded, but I had something to say and felt it was difficult to express, so I fell silent before Cao Xiaobei.
I picked up the milk tea and took a sip. The taste was just average, but that was to be expected. I think Cao Xiaobei is good at riding motorcycles, but he might not have the temperament for these more delicate things.
Cao Xiaobei and I had a rift, so he sat at the next table, lit a cigarette, and fiddled with his phone... After a while, he finally asked me, "How's business at Jiulongju?"
"Thanks to you, it's quite good!"
Cao Xiaobei nodded and then fell silent. I asked him again, "Sending the key over there wasn't your intention, was it?"
Cao Xiaobei countered, "Whose original intention was that?"
"If I'm not mistaken, it was Yang Sisi who asked you to do this favor."
"No, I always judge by the matter, not the person. I've said before that my dad did something unethical."
"That's true. You can't even get in touch with Yang Sisi, so you can't discuss this matter."
Cao Xiaobei's expression changed instantly, and he replied, "What do you mean by that?... Let me tell you, stop showing off and flaunting your superiority in front of me. You're no better than me. At least I, Cao Xiaobei, don't need her pity. What good have you done besides making her worry?"
Given Cao Xiaobei's personality, I couldn't tell if his words were insulting, but I wasn't angry. I smiled and said to him, "Does what you're saying indirectly prove that Yang Sisi contacted you? Because she was worried about me."
Cao Xiaobei was stunned for a moment, then suddenly said, "You're bluffing me, aren't you?"
"All warfare is based on deception."
Cao Xiaobei's lips twitched twice, then he took another deep drag of his cigarette and said to me, "I've never fucking figured out why she's so hung up on you. She's already abroad, yet she still cares about all this nonsense about you... I don't believe she likes you... because at first glance, you don't have any redeeming qualities at all."
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