Nicole put down her guitar, picked up her phone from the table, and I watched her nervously, waiting for her reply... Nicole didn't seem to understand how I was feeling. She picked up a piece of candy from the fruit plate, unwrapped it, put it in her mouth, and then slowly unlocked the screen.
I couldn't contain myself and asked her, "Was it Ye Zhi who replied to the message?"
"My friend sent me a red envelope, do you want to send me one too?"
My heart sank, but I still took out my phone and sent Nicole a red envelope, then got up and went to the liquor cabinet to get a bottle of beer.
Nicole looked at me and laughed, "Look at you, all gloomy and miserable. Didn't I tell you this friend isn't Ye Zhi?"
I was instantly ignited and asked, "Is it really her?"
Nicole nodded and said, "I really don't understand you. You clearly care a lot, but you always act like you're trying to become a saint... Aren't you just making things difficult for yourself?"
I quickly sat up straight, then picked up my glass and took a sip, but then stole a glance at Nicole, because her expression would give me some clues, revealing what Ye Zhi had probably said to her.
...
A moment later, Nicole finally put down her phone and said to me, "Ye Zhi said she'll be staying in Santorini for five days."
I counted on my fingers and replied, "That means it won't be until the fifth day of the Lunar New Year!"
"Including the time spent on the road, it will be around the sixth or seventh day of the Lunar New Year."
"The sixth or seventh day is fine too... Have you told her that I'm going to Shanghai to see her?"
"It's hard to say..."
“Tell me the truth… or give me your phone and I’ll talk to her.”
Nicole quickly protected her phone and replied, "Forget it, let me do it. With your communication skills when dealing with women, I'm afraid you'll only make her feel worse."
"I feel quite frustrated by what you're saying."
“Only when you feel frustrated will you reflect… You sit quietly and don’t get agitated. I’ll talk to her.”
I nodded, then held my cigarette in my hand, without saying a word.
After a moment, Nicole said with a regretful expression, "Ye Zhi doesn't want to see you."
Did you give a reason?
"No."
I gave a wry smile: "I believe it... that's just her 'personality'."
"What, you've done something that doesn't even give a person a chance to be angry?"
"I don't want to think like that... and please stop teasing me. There are only ten minutes left until the new year... I want to be happy."
Nicole put her phone aside, then rested her chin on her hands, staring blankly at the somewhat deserted street outside the window... But the desertedness was only what we saw; outside the ancient city, the incessant sound of firecrackers was already deafening.
I never dreamed that the only person I would spend the New Year with was Nicole, a friend I had only known for a short time, while none of my close comrades and the people I longed for were there.
Perhaps Nicole thinks so too.
...
Five minutes before midnight, the bar door was pushed open, and Yang Sisi, dragging her suitcase, appeared in Nicole's and my line of sight. She seemed to be in a bit of a rush, so she looked at us breathlessly and patted her chest.
Who she is doesn't matter. What matters is that we now have another person to celebrate the New Year with, and she's even more lively than Nicole and me.
Yang Sisi was very outgoing. She took out a box of chocolates from her shoulder bag and said to Nicole, "You must be Michael's friend. I'm also his friend. I'll be staying here tonight. Here's a small gift for you."
Nicole smiled and accepted the gift, replying, "I love this gift so much! My favorite food is dark chocolate."
"If you like it, I'll send you more from overseas next time."
"Then I'll thank you in advance."
Yang Sisi sat down unceremoniously in the seat between Nicole and me. She seemed a little thirsty but didn't seem to care much. She picked up the half-finished can of beer and poured it into her mouth... then spat it out, frowning and complaining, "I thought it was cola!"
Nicole smiled and said, "I have some Coke, I'll get it for you."
"Thanks."
After Nicole turned around, Yang Sisi looked at me... I felt a little uncomfortable, so I took the initiative to start a conversation and said, "You've been staying at Cao Xiaobei's place for quite a while."
"Of course... he took me to the reservoir to set off fireworks... it was so romantic."
"oh."
"And you, what have you been doing all this time?"
"They smoke and drink."
"The decadent bourgeoisie!"
I smiled at her, then pulled out a cigarette from the pack and lit it, partly for amusement and partly to cover up my true feelings… I wanted to appear more nonchalant in front of Yang Sisi, because she was the woman who most liked to mock me.
...
While waiting for the New Year's bell to ring, I took my phone out of my pocket. I hadn't been completely forgotten; a few friends and former colleagues still sent me New Year's greetings. After replying politely, I found Lao Mi's WeChat in my contacts and transferred him 666 yuan, which means good luck in the coming year.
After receiving my transfer, Lao Mi texted me, "Are you spending the New Year with Xiao Ye?"
Not wanting to spoil his mood during the Lunar New Year, I chose to lie and replied, "Yes... you and Mom don't need to worry about it."
“You’re at a crucial age, how can we not worry about you… You need to be more responsible and not let the neighbors laugh at you.”
"I know exactly what's going on in my mind."
Old Mi didn't say much about the issue, then transferred 2,000 yuan to me and said, "This 2,000 yuan is a red envelope for you and Xiao Ye. You two can each have half... Tell her not to think it's too little. This is all we can offer."
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
