Faced with the message from Ye Zhi, my mind fell into an unprecedented state of confusion. I tried to calm myself down, but I became more and more agitated... This agitation was complex, mixed with a strange joy, and I also felt sad because of Lu Jia's departure.
The evening breeze blew along the bustling street into Jiulongju, which lingers on the edge of the ancient city, and also ruffled my hair. I didn't calm down because of this, but I felt a little numb because I had been standing in one position for too long.
Gradually, time helped me untangle the myriad thoughts tangled in my mind, leaving only two thoughts and two choices.
Either I chase after Lu Jia at all costs, or I quickly reply to Ye Zhi's message so she doesn't mistakenly think I'm hesitating.
I finally looked down at my phone screen, which had been dark for a long time... I wanted to tell Ye Zhi my truest thoughts, but as I made a move, the image of Lu Jia pulling her suitcase, her lonely figure flashing through my mind.
I put down my phone, lit a cigarette, and then, under the streetlight, I saw a heavy, melancholy shadow. I desperately wanted to separate my body from my soul, and then, as an observer, let my soul offer advice to my body.
...
After a long silence, I raised my hand again to look at my phone, the only thing that connected me to the world. The phone was blank; no one had contacted me since. But I gripped it tighter and tighter, and then opened Ye Zhi's WeChat Moments.
I don't know why I looked at her WeChat Moments at this time. I just remembered that the few posts she made were all related to me or were made when we were together.
Perhaps, she really did develop feelings for me.
I crave this relationship, yet I don't know how to face it... I know all too well that for a woman like Ye Zhi, even the slightest betrayal is unforgivable, therefore, I am already a bastard.
...
During the process, I was surprised to find that just five minutes earlier, Ye Zhi had posted another rare update on her WeChat Moments.
She seemed to be by Erhai Lake. Although the seawater was not clearly visible in the pictures she posted, you could see lights reflecting from the east side of the lake, as well as a red-billed gull perched on a tree branch.
"The distance holds nothing but remoteness, and the further away one goes, the more lonely one becomes; how much pain lies beneath the happiness of the distant land?"
The text below the picture revealed her state of mind. Although she is a mature and wise woman, she is still very sensitive and vulnerable when it comes to relationships. Therefore, after I didn't reply immediately, she began to become pessimistic and doubtful...
At this moment, she must be lonely, because she entrusted her future to me, but I didn't reach out in time. All that keeps her company is the cold sea, the howling wind, and a heart that can't find comfort hidden under the cold lamplight.
I didn't want to hesitate any longer, so I immediately sent her a message: "Where are you? I'm coming to find you right now."
Ye Zhi seemed to have been waiting for me, and she replied quickly: "Ma Jiuyi".
"Wait for me... I'll be there soon, I promise."
I don't know why I added "I promise" to the end of a complete sentence. I only saw my own urgent feeling, and once I was dominated by that feeling, I ignored everything else...
I took the motorcycle keys out of the house and rode my powerful little ninja from Jiulongju towards Majiuyi.
I chose the less travelable route, but it was a shorter one... and then I paid the price. When I went over a pothole, I didn't hold on to the handrail, so after scraping against a telephone pole, I fell off my bike onto the uneven gravel road. My hands were scraped, and a piece of skin was scraped off my leg, but the pain couldn't calm me down...
At this moment, I am also very pessimistic. I have lost the purity I had at the beginning. All my actions are based on the beautiful image I have imagined in Ye Zhi.
I endured the pain and picked up the fallen motorcycle from the ground, then heard another thud—a skid plate on the motorcycle had broken off…
A pang of fear shot through me; it seemed I had once again failed Yang Sisi in her trust.
...
Twenty minutes later, I finally arrived at Majiuyi, where Ye Zhi was. I searched along the coastal road and then found an Audi Q7 with a Dali license plate parked not far from the "Haitou Inn". At first, I was not sure until I found Ye Zhi on the shore not far from the car.
It seemed she had borrowed the car; the reason it was a Q7 was to deal with the bumpy mountain road that was the only way back to the small town. I felt an indescribable guilt. While I was feeling lost, Ye Zhi had already made all the preparations. She is an extremely intelligent woman and must have known what choosing to go home with me meant, otherwise she wouldn't have sent me that message.
I stood behind her for a moment before walking over and sitting down beside her. I didn't dare look at her at that moment, but instead looked up at the hazy lights reflecting from the east side of the lake and asked her in a low voice, "Why did you come to Erhai Lake alone?"
Ye Zhi looked at me and said, "Don't you think this place makes you feel very safe?"
I glanced around instinctively; night had already enveloped everything, and the wind blowing from the back of Cangshan Mountain seemed capable of reaping all emotions and then throwing them into Erhai Lake, silently… Ye Zhi was right; perhaps the body would suffer from the cold, but the soul would be well protected…
I understood, but I didn't know how to answer her... After a moment of silence, her long hair was blown by the wind and fell on my face. It was a fragrant scent, and also a kind of intimate feeling without any distance... I suddenly wanted to get close to her, right here.
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