After sending the message, I put my phone on vibrate and placed it under my pillow to ensure I would be able to sense Ye Zhi's reply immediately. At the same time, I closed my eyes; I had to sleep because tomorrow would be a long journey, and I needed to be in a very good mental state to face it... If I were sure Ye Zhi would reply, I would be willing to wait a little longer, but unfortunately, I couldn't.
About half an hour later, I drifted into a hazy state and fell asleep with a lingering concern for Ye Zhi. In the end, she did not reply to my message on such a significant night for me.
Perhaps she's encountered a particularly troublesome problem this time, so she doesn't have the energy to consider going back to my small town with me for the time being, which is understandable... At least, while she hasn't replied to me, she hasn't rejected me either, so there's still hope.
...
The next day, I got up at eight o'clock and went to the parking lot near the snack street where I had been the day before to retrieve the Jimny I had bought from Chen Jin. When I drove the car to his dormitory building, he had just finished the handover with the landlord. He was wearing a pair of thick sunglasses, with two suitcases at his feet and a backpack on his back; he looked much the same as when I left. This was all he had earned after so many years of hard work in Shanghai, and it was everything to him.
I opened the car door, walked over to him, and said with a smile, "Could you take off your sunglasses? Let me see what kind of expression you have right now."
Chen Jin looked back at the cluster of buildings standing in a maze behind him and said to me in a low voice, "Will this city just become a memory in the future?"
"Not necessarily. If you're not satisfied, you can choose to come back in another way later."
"I'm willing, extremely willing... I fought to the death with myself, with the company, and with Ding Lin here, but in the end, I lost to everyone. I no longer dare to have a temper!"
I know you're not feeling well.
Chen Jin smiled, lit a cigarette, and took several puffs before saying to me, "I'm a little resentful... It's not that I feel worthless, it's just that after all these years here, I don't even have a single person who truly cares about me. It makes me quite sad!"
I patted him on the shoulder to comfort him, and Chen Jin then took off his sunglasses and glanced at me. He handed them to me and said, "These sunglasses are the most valuable thing I own, and also my favorite thing, because they can hide me. But I don't want them anymore. From today onwards, I'm going to live clearly... Heh, if I can't even understand myself, how can I understand a woman like Ding Lin... So I don't plan to hate her anymore. I also have problems; I've been too conservative, too defensive, and too insecure here!"
After Chen Jin finished speaking, he was about to throw the sunglasses in the trash can when I quickly stopped him and said, "Don't throw them away, give them to me, the sun is a bit too bright today."
Chen Jin looked around and exclaimed, "It's been so long since I've seen such good weather in Shanghai!"
"Doesn't a violent storm have to match your current mood?"
"Stop joking... Let's go."
"Then let's go."
...
After we got on the ring road, Chen Jin and I switched seats. We discussed it and decided that he would drive for half a day in the morning, and then I would drive for the other half day in the afternoon. Whoever was tired at night would rest. Our goal for the first day was to reach Huaihua City in Hunan Province; and then we would drive from Huaihua to Dali on the second day.
This is a huge challenge in terms of energy and physical strength, but fortunately, my partner this time is Chen Jin, who is a tough guy like me, so I am not worried at all; the last time I took the same route by car, I was with Yang Sisi, and that time it took us almost a week.
...
With this almost frantic spirit, we drove from morning till night, and then into the night. At nine o'clock, I drove to a service area and switched places with Chen Jin again. We ate something, filled up our cups with drinking water, and then continued on our way.
Only then was I able to free my hand to take out my phone and look at it properly; unfortunately, Ye Zhi still hasn't replied to my message.
I couldn't help but have many thoughts, but there was no way I could send her another message. After not getting a reply to my sincere message, I no longer knew what words I could use to express my thoughts and feelings to her.
Nicole sent me a WeChat message saying, "Yesterday I posted information in the singers' group about our bar hiring singers and signing contracts; everyone was very supportive, and nearly 20 singers applied this afternoon alone... But there weren't enough spots, so I only kept one of the most 'unique' ones; to be honest, I really admire you, because just like you thought, the singers' circle is in an uproar now, and many singers are saying they want to talk to their bosses to try and sign a secure employment contract... You've successfully stirred up the waters of the Dali singing scene."
I smiled and replied, "Stirring up the water now is to make the water in the industry clearer in the future... Singers' rights cannot be guaranteed by verbal promises alone. Although this can be considered a publicity stunt, I don't think I did anything bad this time."
"I'm afraid these bar owners don't think that way... I heard that some singers have already spontaneously organized a strike. Dali will soon usher in another peak tourist season. If the singers really unite and strike, affecting the bar business, then those bar owners in the old town will hate you to death!"
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