Peach has been gone for a long time, but I'm still sitting in the tavern under the night sky, watching the tourists coming and going on the street, trying to sense their feelings through the darkness.
Most of them were happy, because smiles were always on their faces, especially the couples who came to travel together. They seemed to have endless tenderness and affection to express, and couldn't wait to stay in the bright lights and bustling city of Dali.
There were also a few lonely people sitting on the street, staring blankly at some object, not even noticing that their cigarettes were almost finished burning out...
No one knows what they went through. Their sorrow is hidden in the night, adding a somber touch to the city of Dali. Dali is a city with stories, and that probably refers to these people. After all, a city has no real life; its essence comes from the people who give it to it.
...
Taozi left just like that, adding another story to the story of Dali. But before that, she and Tienan, like many others on the street, had also shared their tender moments here...
Hehe, nobody cares about these things. If other people looked at Peach at this moment, they would probably feel the same way I do when I look at that man smoking on the street. They would feel sorry for him, but that wouldn't stir any more emotions in them.
From this perspective, the world is truly indifferent!
I finally withdrew my gaze from its exploration, then picked up my glass and took a sip. With the wine, I swallowed the chaos and turmoil of the world. I found peace, and forgot the image of Peach's departing figure.
What can I say about her choice?
I just hope that she will have a better life in the future than she did in Dali... As for the 170,000 yuan she left behind, I will definitely help her pass it on; it's the last thing I'll do for her.
Hopefully, Tie Nan can take it all in stride, after all, life is unpredictable... No matter how much pain there is, it will eventually fade away.
But for some reason, when I think about what Taozi and Tienan have been through, I still feel depressed; I can't understand why two people who tried so hard to be together ended up like this.
But who is the one who is wrong?
...
It felt like I was spending this night in someone else's place. I had just seen Taozi off when I received a call from Bailu, who also wanted to meet me.
To be honest, ever since Coach Ma chose to become a monk at Jizu Mountain, I have been particularly afraid of meeting Bai Lu. Although Coach Ma's decision to become a monk has nothing to do with me, as friends of both sides, I don't want to see Bai Lu living a miserable life in the mortal world.
I always felt that I hadn't fulfilled my responsibility as a friend. Maybe if I had persuaded Coach Ma more, he wouldn't have gone to Jizu Mountain.
Yes, that's how the guilt towards Bai Lu came about.
...
It was in this bar that I met Bai Lu. She sat in the same spot where Tao Zi had just been sitting. She looked at me first, then asked, "It's been a while since we last met. Are you feeling better?"
"As long as I'm not alone and idle, I'm in a good mood."
Bai Lu smiled, and after a brief silence, she took out a medicine bottle-like object from her handbag and handed it to me, saying, "This is a nasal spray that a friend brought back from Japan. It's especially effective for allergic rhinitis... Xiao Ma has been avoiding me, so please give this to him for me... The temperature difference between day and night is greater on Jizu Mountain than down here. If he catches a chill, his rhinitis will definitely flare up... Buddha can't cure his rhinitis!"
"Okay, leave this to me..."
After a brief pause, I asked Bai Lu in a low voice, "How are you? Have you been doing well lately?"
"Can it get better?!"
I don't know what to say.
Bai Lu lit a cigarette. She was both amused and exasperated at first, then said, "It's impossible for me to understand his decision, unless I really have no feelings for him anymore and don't care about anything... Don't you think that makes sense?"
"Well, even if you're unwilling, this has already happened... You should make plans for the future."
"The other half of the reason I came to see you today is about this matter... I've been back in Dali for a while now, and I can't just sit around doing nothing... I've thought of a project these past few days and wanted to discuss it with you to see if it's feasible."
What project?
"I want to open a vegetarian restaurant, specifically for those who are Buddhist."
"this……"
Bai Lu further explained, “I didn’t mean to target Xiao Ma. I genuinely think this is a business opportunity… There are so many Buddhists in Dali, and 70-80% of them are high-end individuals. After achieving success, they chose to settle here because they like the Buddhist atmosphere… But Dali currently doesn’t have many high-end vegetarian restaurants, and what I want to do is create such a high-end vegetarian restaurant…”
With a sense of doubt, I asked, "People who are devoted to Buddhism have nothing in their minds, so they wouldn't care about high-end or low-end things, right?"
Bai Lu's face showed disdain as she replied, "A mind devoid of all things?... How high do you think these people's level of understanding is!... Let me tell you, the majority of them are people who want to worship Buddha, but they also want to save face... To put it bluntly, their worship of Buddha isn't because they're truly fascinated by the culture; they just want to find a safe haven for themselves, afraid that if they do too many bad things while alive, they'll suffer karmic retribution after death."
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