At 12:30 a.m., I arrived at Sanya Airport, got my boarding pass, and went through security, which took half an hour. By the time I reached the waiting area, it was already 1 a.m. I didn't expect to be able to contact anyone, so I closed my eyes and tried to rest...
About ten minutes later, my phone, which had been silent, vibrated in my hand. I picked it up and saw that it was a message from Ye Zhi.
She told me she had arrived at the hotel and that I shouldn't worry.
I really wanted to talk to her more, but considering that she was exhausted both physically and mentally these past two days, I didn't want to bother her. I just told her to get some rest and didn't express my feelings of reluctance and longing.
...
A while after I finished talking to Ye Zhi, my phone vibrated again. I thought Ye Zhi had remembered something and sent another message, but when I opened WeChat, it was from Yang Sisi... Being abroad, she certainly had the opportunity; it was probably noon or afternoon there.
She questioned, "Why didn't you reply to my comments on your WeChat Moments?"
I stared at my phone for a while, then replied somewhat helplessly, "I don't know how to reply."
"Reply however you want... but you can't not reply."
I changed the subject and asked, "You should be in class right now, right?"
"Yes... don't try to change the subject... I'm the student who's the least disciplined in class, and my phone is hidden under my textbook... Tell me, who is that woman you've been holding in your heart on the beach?"
"As long as you are mentally sound, you will recognize who it is."
"I don't recognize myself... I'm just mentally unstable!"
I pressed the lock screen button on my phone, then glanced out the floor-to-ceiling window at the dimly lit tarmac where a small transport plane was parked… I became a little lost in thought, and then the plane took off in a scene I imagined in my mind… I was sitting inside the plane, flying to the other side of the ocean…
In a bright and clean classroom, I saw Yang Sisi sitting in the last row, looking depressed and sad as she lay on her desk.
She still cries so easily... Her eyes were filled with tears, which had already soaked her eyelashes.
...
The airport announcement came on, reminding passengers on the flight before me to prepare for boarding; it also snapped me out of my reverie. I looked around blankly, then unlocked my phone.
My finger hovered over the chat window with Yang Sisi; I wanted to delete her from my contact list.
I know she likes me, and her feelings for me are inexplicable yet deeply rooted...
I should cut off contact with her, and doing so is the right thing to do for her, for me, and for Ye Zhi. Although it is inhumane, even cruel, it is much better than forming an ambiguous love triangle, which would be the real harm.
As I was thinking this, my finger was already on the delete option.
I took a deep breath, and then, uncontrollably, memories of her and me flooded back: the first time we met, she rolled down her car window and called me Uncle Mi… On the way, I fell ill after helping Ye Zhi change her tire in the pouring rain, and she sat with me outside a small clinic, and I even tricked her into buying me a pack of cigarettes… Later, when we parted at the airport, her heartbroken expression was like that of a child who had lost their most beloved toy…
I dare not think any further... because I would be moved, and I would feel that I was being very unkind... I really want to be friends with her for the rest of my life, but I don't want to label myself as a scumbag, and I don't want to waste her youth and love.
So, I made myself cruel this once; I closed my eyes and pressed the delete button.
I know she's disappeared from my friends list... but I don't feel any relief at all, because I think about her current situation... she must be heartbroken and feel hopeless about me.
But for me, there was no better way than to do it this way.
...
My phone vibrated again. This time it was Chen Jin calling, probably having arrived in Dali and calling to let me know he was safe. I answered the phone somewhat blankly, without saying a word. Chen Jin said "hello" a few times on the other end of the line, and then asked, "Michael, can you hear me?"
"Can I hear you...? Have you arrived in Dali yet?"
"I just arrived. Your friend Nicole is such a kind person! It's so late, and she still arranged a place for me to stay. I was originally planning to find an inn to stay in for the night."
"Why waste that money?" After a slight pause, I asked again, "Where did she arrange for you to stay?"
"Jiulongju... I must say, this place is really eerie. After we went in, there wasn't a single light or shadow. All I could hear was our own footsteps. I didn't dare to breathe loudly."
"It'll be lively from now on."
Chen Jin then asked, "How's it going on your end?"
Didn't you see my post on WeChat Moments?
"I was so focused on driving, I didn't have time to check my WeChat Moments... What happened?"
"This trip to Sanya was very fruitful, we got together... It was thrilling!"
"Tell me about it quickly."
"Let's talk about it when we get back. I'll be boarding the plane soon."
"Direct flight to Dali?"
"There are no direct flights between Sanya and Dali; they stop in Kunming."
"If you had told me earlier, I would have been waiting for you in Kunming."
"It's alright, you can get some rest as soon as you arrive."
Chen Jin paused for a moment, then asked, "Dude, you seem a bit down."
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