To hide my emotions, I took out a cigarette from the pack, lit it, took a deep drag, and replied to Lu Jia, "Yes, she's here in Dali for the New Year too."
"So, you're already living together?"
"It hasn't gotten to that point yet."
Lu Jia gave a "I understand" look, then reached out and called the waiter over to order a second cup of coffee.
I stopped her and said to her, "Don't drink anymore. I'll take you to your place to stay so you can rest for a bit."
"Yes, I really need to get some rest."
"Let's go then."
"Wait... I'll stay at your place too, will that be inconvenient?"
I didn't understand at first and asked, "What do you mean?"
"Your girlfriend probably lives over there too, right? Aren't you worried about us running into you and feeling awkward?"
She doesn't live there.
Lu Jia looked at me with suspicion...
I explained, "Her friends here left her a sea-view vacation villa. The environment is much better than mine. If it were me, I would definitely stay in a house with a sea view, since we're here for vacation."
"That's true. With such a nice house, why would she need to take up a guest room at your place and interfere with your business? ... She seems to be quite considerate of you!"
I looked at Lu Jia, not knowing what to say.
...
A moment later, Lu Jia and I arrived at Jiulongju, and I took her to the guest room that had been reserved for us. I had my own selfish reasons, so I reserved the two best rooms out of the twenty for them. The room that Lu Jia stayed in not only had a very exquisite little garden at the door, but also an artificial stream that flowed around the room. Especially at dusk, you could brew a pot of tea and sit on the lounge chair on the balcony for a while, and you would really have a wonderful feeling that the whole world was yours.
As Lu Jia put down her luggage, she exclaimed to me, "This place is quiet despite being in a busy area. The environment is much better than I imagined. I really can't believe there's a more comfortable place in Dali..."
"Most beachfront properties are more comfortable than this."
“I don’t think so. A sea view room may broaden one’s mind and horizons, but this place gives people a sense of privacy in the world. I don’t think there is a difference between the two, it just depends on your choice.”
I smiled and replied, "As the boss, I'm quite pleased that you've given me such high praise."
"You're good at choosing locations."
After a brief silence, Lu Jia seemed to remember something and said to me, "Oh, right, I've paid for your room. Stay for a week."
I looked at her, and then a habitual thought popped into my head, making me feel that asking her for money was an unbelievable thing. After all, when we were together, I only wanted to give her everything I could.
After a brief moment of confusion, I realistically said to her, "Okay, let's go with the price we agreed on before, 1200 a night, 8400 in total, just give me 8000."
"Give me a QR code for payment."
I nodded and handed her my phone. To my surprise, she didn't try to take advantage of the 400 yuan; she insisted on paying me 8400 yuan. I didn't stand on ceremony, said thank you, and put the phone, now paid for, back in my pocket.
At this moment, I must get my position straight. No matter what Lu Jia's purpose was in coming to Dali, she is someone I must let go of. So today, she is simply my guest. Therefore, I must accept her room fee to confirm that this is what I mean.
...
After leaving Lu Jia's room, I wandered around Jiulongju alone. Even now, I still felt like I hadn't recovered, and I became anxious and insecure... I started to think about what I had lost and what I had gained in the past six months since I left Shanghai.
I was so confused! This state continued until evening, when I suddenly remembered that I had arranged to have dinner with Ye Zhi and my so-called friends that night... I fell into distress because I had lost control of the situation. It seemed like no matter how I explained it to Ye Zhi, it would be nonsense... But I really didn't know anything about it, and even now, I still feel like I'm dreaming. I can't believe that the woman I just met is Lu Jia, who resolutely chose to break up with me back then.
...
After smoking two cigarettes in a row, I finally texted Ye Zhi: "What are you doing?"
"Wait for you to contact me."
"Shall I come find you now?"
"I'll take a taxi there myself, you don't need to make an extra trip."
"Alright."
What should we eat tonight?
Ye Zhi's initiative in asking about such details was quite unexpected, so after a moment, I replied, "Yunnan cuisine, I know a restaurant in the old town that does it well."
"I'm fine with it, but will your friend like it too?"
I mumbled a reply: "Of course you have to eat Yunnan cuisine when you come to Yunnan."
"Okay, then send me your location, I'll head over now."
I sent my location to Ye Zhi and then sat there waiting, while weighing my options in my mind: should I tell her the truth? Five minutes later, I made my decision. I didn't want to hide it from her, because many misunderstandings start with concealment, and I had already suffered greatly from this. If I couldn't be honest with Ye Zhi, she might doubt not only these issues but also my character.
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