I don't know what time it is after midnight, but the sound of firecrackers outside the ancient city has never stopped. If I don't think about what is happening, I should feel happy, because when I was little, every time the firecrackers went off during the New Year, my father would give me lucky money.
I used that New Year's money to treat my female classmates to meals, and I also bought toys and game consoles. So all my memories of firecrackers are fond of them, because those tiny desires of mine were satisfied by the sound of firecrackers.
I subconsciously pinched my chin, then looked at Yang Sisi... I didn't mishear, she said she wanted to be Cao Xiaobei's girlfriend.
I smiled and said to her, "You two are a perfect match... No one will gossip about you being together."
Yang Sisi bit her lip and looked at me with a penetrating gaze. This version of her made me forget her previous self. I always felt that her happiness wasn't just superficial; there was something profound in her mind that she used for thinking.
This profoundness is something I find difficult to fathom, and something I feel powerless to grasp.
Yang Sisi finally spoke up: "You say we're a perfect match, then tell me, where is Cao Xiaobei's talent?"
"His milk tea is really good, and he's a romantic person... Most women can't resist a man like that."
"Yes, I'm just an ordinary woman."
As Yang Sisi spoke, she took out her phone from her pocket, did a few quick actions, and then a red envelope appeared on my WeChat.
I accepted the red envelope in front of Yang Sisi; it was a large one with 200 yuan in it. Apart from the red envelope that Lao Mi gave me before, which I split in half with Ye Zhi, this was the largest one.
Yang Sisi then said to me, "You deserve this red envelope. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be with Cao Xiaobei... I'll have Cao Xiaobei send you another one tomorrow, so you can also experience the feeling of good things coming in pairs."
“I won’t accept his red envelope if it’s less than two thousand.”
"How about I give you 20,000?"
"Would 200,000 be acceptable?"
Are you trying to sell me out?
Originally, I just meant to make a joke, but when Yang Sisi shed tears, I suddenly realized that my words had touched a nerve; actually, I don't want anything...
Yang Sisi gave me a cold look, then turned and walked back to the bar. When she came out, she was already dragging a suitcase, so it seemed she didn't want to stay at Nicole's place anymore.
I asked, "Where are you going?"
"Go find the person who should take me in."
"Cao Xiaobei?"
"Anyone will do, but it definitely won't be you."
Yang Sisi wiped away her tears, and then, under my watchful gaze, walked out of the alley...
My vision was blurry, but I saw a leaf fall into her silhouette... just like my current mood. Spring has arrived, but nothing has sprouted within me; only desolation and endless vastness remain.
...
After Yang Sisi left, I found a piece of chocolate that the children had forgotten in the corner. I picked it up, peeled it, and put it in my mouth... Dark chocolate is a little bitter and a little sweet, just like life.
Nicole finally came out of the bar, and asked me in confusion, "Why did Sisi leave?"
"Maybe they think your place is too small and inconvenient for two people to live in."
"Has she found a place to stay?"
"Don't worry, she won't be homeless."
Nicole glanced in the direction Yang Sisi had left, said "Oh," and then said to me, "Let's go in and have some more drinks."
I waved my hand: "If I keep drinking, I'll be stuck here and won't be able to leave... I'm not drinking anymore."
I went back into the bar, put on the jacket I had taken off earlier, and then prepared to leave Nicole's bar.
"Michael, wait a minute."
I looked at Nicole with a puzzled expression...
"Let me give you a heads-up... Since ancient times, those who are deeply in love have only ended up with regrets. Be careful."
I laughed out loud: "Do you really think I did something wrong?"
"You didn't hesitate, did you?"
"If I had hesitated, things wouldn't be like this now... Look, besides my shadow at my feet, who else is around me?"
"That's true... you're a man who can make decisions decisively."
I looked at Nicole and said, "Tell Ye Zhi that I have feelings for her... So, on the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, I'm going to Shanghai to see her. There are still seven days, enough time for her to think it over carefully..."
What if she still refuses to see me?
"I treated it as a trip to Shanghai."
"What if she sees it?"
“I’ll be so happy to see her!” After a short pause, I added, “Seeing her doesn’t mean she’s reaffirmed our relationship… so let’s not make so many assumptions. Just pass on the message to her for me.”
"Um."
...
Back at "Jiulongju", the sound of firecrackers gradually subsided, and I was finally able to calm down and examine the night and the things that had happened recently. There was nothing clear, and I gradually started to feel sleepy.
I quickly washed up and went back to bed, soon drifting off into a drowsy state.
...
Because I was running this temporary inn, I didn't dare put my phone on silent when I slept, afraid that if a guest encountered trouble, I wouldn't be able to contact anyone to handle it. I don't know how long I was half asleep, but I was woken up by the urgent ringing of my phone.
I picked up my phone from the bedside table and saw it was Taozi calling. I was instantly wide awake; for her to call me at this hour, something must have happened.
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