I looked at Yang Sisi, unsure how to answer. Yang Sisi, however, grew impatient. She pointed at me, still in the water, and said, "Can you come up first? This water is so cold!"
"Then turn around, otherwise it will be inconvenient."
Yang Sisi looked at me with confusion at first, but when she saw the pile of clothes on the rocks, she understood. Her face turned red, and she asked, "You're not completely naked, are you?"
"That's about it, but the bottom line remains."
"How can you be such a scoundrel? Stripped like that, you still have the nerve to call me over for a talk!"
"He still has a pair of underwear left."
"Then you're quite open and honest!"
As Yang Sisi spoke, she turned around, and I grabbed the edge of the reef and climbed out of the water. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, Yang Sisi glanced back again.
She shouted, "You beast, you're really honest... You said you only wear one pair of underwear, and you really only have one pair."
"Can I not make a fuss? Do you think my underwear is any less discreet than swim trunks at the beach... Look closely, it's boxer shorts."
"You've shown me clearly!!... Do you know who you're flirting with right now?... It's a woman who's already taken. Can you get any more indecent?"
I ignored her, put my pants on first, and then draped my coat over my shoulders... After experiencing such a shock, I was much calmer than before. I sat down next to Yang Sisi and wiped the water off my body with my cotton vest...
When we weren't talking, everything seemed very peaceful... just like a morning a few months ago, before she went abroad, before the seaside inn was demolished, and sometimes we would sit by Erhai Lake for a while, not thinking about too many things, only about what to eat for lunch.
This kind of disorientation is extremely dangerous because the next instant, you will be jolted back to reality, and then the mess will be right in front of you, and you can't get rid of it no matter what you do.
...
I finally spoke to Yang Sisi, saying, "Even at a time like this, you still have the mind to joke... Your personality is truly amazing!"
"You're heartless... You always say that about me."
I pulled a cigarette out of my pocket, lit it, and then smoked it in silence...
Yang Sisi suddenly felt a sense of crisis, and she said to me again, "You haven't answered what I just said to you... Asking Ye Zhi for help with Tie Nan's matter should be more useful than anyone else."
"What's the basis for that?"
"She invests billions of yuan at a time, making her the government's favorite person... If protecting Erhai Lake is a shield, then she is the sharpest spear."
I was taken aback by Yang Sisi's words and asked, "Their group has invested billions in Longkan!?... You're not kidding, are you?"
"They claim to have attracted the largest investment in recent years, but what do you think... To support their project, the 'government' even approved a four-lane road in both directions for Longkan, and also opened a rapid transit bus route from the city center to Longkan... If they didn't really like it and value it, would the higher-ups have done this?"
"You're not even in Dali, how come you have better access to these information than I do?"
"I may not be physically present, but my heart is here."
I took a deep drag on my cigarette, and after a long pause, I said in a low voice, "I can't ask Ye Zhi about this. She and I..."
What happened between you and her?
I looked at Yang Sisi, and the concern in her eyes exceeded my expectations.
I countered, "Do you think there will never be any conflict between us?"
"Of course, you're attracted to her beauty and intelligence, and she admires your sense of justice and responsibility... You two are such good people, how could there be any conflict!"
How did you come up with the word "greed"?
"Isn't that so?"
I took a drag of my cigarette and closed my eyes, trying to imagine what Ye Zhi looked like. But all I could remember were her clothes and her manner of speaking; her face was somewhat blurry, probably because she was too perfect and didn't give me a sense of depth.
Or perhaps, my subconscious is forcing me to forget her, and to forget the pain she caused.
"What exactly is going on between you two? Can you tell me?"
I looked at Yang Sisi and replied after a long while, "It's a long story. She blocked me... I can't contact her." After a short pause, I added, "Even if this happened to my friend, or even to myself, she probably wouldn't care."
"You've been blacklisted! ...What did you do to offend her?"
"As I said, it's a long story."
Yang Sisi nodded, resting her chin on her hand; at the same time, I shivered as a cool breeze blew in my face.
...
A moment later, Yang Sisi said to me again, "If we can't rely on Ye Zhi, what else can we do? Are we really going to let Tie Nan go to jail?"
"What's the point of you making wild guesses here? ...Let's wait for the results."
As we were talking, a haggard-looking girl named Taozi came to Yang Sisi and me. Her voice was a little hoarse as she asked me, "Michael, have you looked for Sun Jiwei?"
"Yes, I called him."
Peach looked at me nervously and asked, "What did he say?"
I sighed softly and replied, "He said this matter is not easy to handle... but don't worry, after all, the outcome is still pending, and it may just end up being a fine."
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