At the same time I received Coach Ma's call, he and Bai Lu had already exited the toll station and were driving towards the ancient city. I told him the exact location of the restaurant, and he said he would be there in half an hour.
After ending the call, I left "Jiulongju" with the barley wine I had bought for Coach Ma, and then called Taozi to go to the small private room that I had booked in advance at No. 1 Courtyard.
I opened the barley wine, poured a glass for Taozi, and said, "I bought it from a Tibetan. Let's have some first; it tastes pretty authentic."
Peach took the wine glass from my hand, and probably because she was feeling emotional, she tilted her head back and drank half of it.
I then took a sip myself, and it was just as spicy as regular baijiu.
When Peach wanted to drink again, I held her hand and said, "Drink less. We drink not to vent, but to pass the time."
Peach glanced at me and finally spoke, "I don't know why, but the thought of them coming back makes me even sadder... We used to be all together, so why is Tie Nan suddenly missing?"
I sighed softly and replied, "Since it has already happened, we still have to face it..."
"I feel extremely desperate right now, and I don't know what to do next?"
"If Tie Nan is really sentenced, will you wait for him?"
“I want to wait for him… but who can predict what will happen in a few years?” After a slight pause, Taozi continued, “During the few days you were in Shanghai, Tie Nan’s father came to see me.”
I was surprised, and then asked, "What did he say to you?"
“He had someone investigate me and found out that I used to work in nightclubs… He didn’t approve of me being with Tie Nan and told me to leave Dali.”
"What's the reason?"
He said that Tie Nan hates women who work in nightclubs the most, and that there would be no future for us if we were together.
I was furious, and my tone became harsher. I cursed, "This guy is really something else. He made the mistake himself, but in the end, he makes you and Tie Nan bear the consequences... Hasn't he ever thought about why Tie Nan hates women who work in nightclubs?"
"But what he said isn't wrong either."
"So you've wavered?"
Peach stared at me, her eyes filled with confusion. After a moment of silence, she said to me, "His dad said I don't need to worry about Tie Nan. Even if Tie Nan is sentenced, he'll still be a rich kid when he gets out. As long as Tie Nan is willing to go back to his hometown with him, half of his family's assets will be inherited by Tie Nan... Michael, after hearing so much bad news, this is good news, right?"
"I can't say, it depends on what Tie Nan thinks, and also on you."
Peach pondered for a moment, then whispered to me, "I think it was a mistake for me to choose to come to Dali... I want to go back to Shanghai."
What are you going back to Shanghai for?
"I feel that Shanghai is a relief for me."
"Are you thinking of going back to working in nightclubs again?"
Peach shook her head, unwilling to say more... Just then, the door to the private room was pushed open, and we finally saw Bai Lu and Coach Ma again after a long time; Bai Lu was still the same as before, while Coach Ma had changed his look; at this time, he had very short hair and was wearing a very plain outfit, but in my memory, he especially liked to wear studded leather jackets and Martin boots.
People change, so I didn't think much of it and immediately got up to greet them...
...
I smiled at Bai Lu first, then gave Coach Ma a very firm hug and said to him, "I'm really happy you're back, buddy. Let's have a good drink today."
Coach Ma replied, "I've given up alcohol. If you want to drink, I'll have tea with you."
I was a little confused. I remembered that Coach Ma had always been an alcoholic. After thinking for a moment, I glanced at Bai Lu again, then lowered my voice and asked Coach Ma, "You two aren't planning to have a baby, so you quit drinking, are you?"
"No, that's not true. Please sit down, don't stand."
Coach Ma then found a seat and sat down. I was a little puzzled; he seemed to be even less talkative than before.
...
Bai Lu was as talkative as ever, so she was the one who kept finding topics to chat with us during the meal. Although they came back because of Tie Nan, they didn't mention him at all during the meal. They probably didn't want to ruin the atmosphere of having such a rare opportunity to eat together, nor did they want to make Tao Zi feel sad.
Halfway through the meal, Bai Lu suddenly asked me, "Michael, how are things going with you and Sisi?"
I was taken aback for a moment, then asked in return, "What can we possibly do?"
"Don't play dumb! I heard that she specially came all the way from abroad to Dali to spend the Chinese New Year with you."
Yes, that's true.
"Doesn't that prove anything?"
I looked at Bai Lu, speechless for a moment. I lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and then replied, "I don't know how to say this..."
Everyone's eyes were fixed on me.
I replied seriously, "I'd like to take this opportunity to formally tell everyone something... Ye Zhi and I are now in a relationship, and we're doing very well; in a few days, she will be coming with me to my hometown to meet my parents."
Bai Lu looked at me incredulously and said, "You've been keeping quiet all this time, but things have already progressed this far behind the scenes?"
I nodded in affirmation.
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