That's what men are like.
...
While waiting for Yang Sisi, Ping Ge, who had been traveling in Thailand, finally appeared in front of his coffee shop with his suitcase.
When he handed me the gifts he brought back from Phuket, I felt as if I had been in another world, even though he had only been away from Dali for half a month.
I invited him to go eat at Haidilao, but he said he was tired and needed to sleep first. I then suggested that we go for barbecue on Yeyu Road after he woke up. This time, he didn't refuse at all. He said that what he missed most in a foreign country was the nightlife in Dali, and he especially loved watching the young girls swaying their hips as they walked past him while he was eating barbecue...
So, this middle-aged man, Ping Ge, is quite a playboy at heart, but he doesn't have the looks of a dashing gentleman. So, he can only look at and imagine those young girls swaying their hips... which is actually quite sad!
...
Riding my little ninja, we sped along and soon arrived at the Taiye Shopping Mall in the city center. Perhaps because of its excellent service, Haidilao is a hit wherever it opens; when Yang Sisi and I got our numbers, there were still over forty tables ahead of us.
Yang Sisi wasn't bored at all. She used the origami on the table to fold paper cranes... That's when I learned that Haidilao had such a rule: customers could use these folded paper cranes to offset part of their bill when paying, with two cranes offsetting one yuan.
However, I am particularly afraid to see her like this, because she is too down-to-earth, too much like a girl next door... And that's how she is; she always leaves a deep impression on my heart with these insignificant things.
After folding several, she complained to me, who was idling around, "Can you stop sitting like a block of wood... If people didn't know better, they'd think you were clumsy."
"I don't know how to fold this thing!"
"I didn't say you had to become self-taught... Come closer, I'll teach you."
I moved my chair closer to her, pretending to be humble and eager to learn; she, on the other hand, treated it as a remarkable skill, pointing and gesturing at me with pride throughout.
Actually, I only watched it twice before I learned it, but to satisfy her desire to teach, I pretended to watch it four times.
We folded over eighty paper cranes together before the waiter finally called our number. But at that moment, Yang Sisi showed her selfish side again. She actually put all eighty-plus paper cranes into her backpack. The waiter reminded her that they could be worth more than forty yuan, but she refused to take them out.
...
Halfway through the meal, she said to me very seriously, "Michael, you've done everything you could regarding Tie Nan. No matter what the final outcome is, you can't let yourself be dragged down with him, understand?"
"I know what I'm doing."
"Anyway, you're doing well in Dali... This place is really one I'll be able to visit less and less each time."
I asked jokingly, "Were you scared by the turbulence you encountered on the plane last time?"
"Why do you have such a sharp tongue... What am I afraid of? What are you saying?!"
I smiled at her, then changed the subject, saying, "Let's talk about something happier... My friend found the original Ninja Golem's protective plates in Japan, and they'll be sending them to me in the next couple of days."
"I'll forgive you this time, but don't ever ride my bike again and cause any accidents..."
Are you worried about the car, or about me?
“I’ll say it again, the car is yours, the car dies and you die… In my eyes, you and the car are one, I have never favored one over the other.”
"I understand, I understand what you mean..." After a slight pause, I put down my chopsticks and said to her, "You keep eating, I'm going to the restroom."
"How can you be so disgusting? Go to the bathroom while you're eating."
"I'll be back in a bit."
"It's okay, if you like, you can stay inside and don't have to come back."
...
After leaving Haidilao, I strolled around the mall. Going to the restroom was just an excuse; I simply wanted to give Yang Sisi a gift before she left. After all, she had helped me at the inn for several days, and giving her money would be too vulgar, and she wouldn't care anyway. So, after thinking it over, a gift seemed like the most practical thing to do.
I saw a bag I liked at a boutique, it cost a little over 2,000 yuan, and I wanted to give it to her. But when I remembered the bags she used, none of them cost less than 10,000 yuan, I gave up on the idea.
Although it's a bit vulgar to measure feelings with money, it can't be lower than her usual standard; but if I were to buy her a bag that costs more than ten thousand yuan, I would feel the pinch, after all, every penny is hard-earned.
As I walked, I came across another store that specializes in Air Jordan shoes. I stopped in my tracks without thinking and picked out a pair of classic women's shoes without much hesitation.
Here's what I'm thinking: if she really likes this shoe collection, then buying another pair would allow her to alternate between them.
...
Back at Haidilao, I had dinner with Yang Sisi and paid the bill. This meant that we had to part ways again... I felt a little sad, but I kept smiling as we walked out of the mall together.
"I'm leaving."
"Which hotel did you book? I'll take you there."
"It's too cold, I don't want to ride a motorcycle."
As Yang Sisi was saying these things, she glanced outside absentmindedly, and then her gaze settled on a taxi waiting for passengers not far from the mall.
She's really leaving.
I quickly handed her the bag and said, "Giving you money is a bit tacky. I just bought a pair of shoes. Just like before, I hope you can walk every step of the way well in the future."
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