Chen Jin and I were on our way back to the ancient city when evening arrived. The evening in Dali was absolutely beautiful. The national highway we were traveling on was built on high ground, passing by those white houses. We could see Erhai Lake from time to time. Erhai Lake was blue, like a sapphire embedded in the cracks of the world. Although I was just an observer, I felt as if I could reach out and touch it with the cool breeze that kept blowing.
I opened the sunroof on the roof of the car as well, and the wind blew even more freely, bringing the smell of cooking smoke from the village, the liveliness of the ancient town, and even the hem of the skirts of the girls in the jeep that was driving alongside me.
Chen Jin said that girls who like convertible jeeps are the most artistic. As long as you can understand their hearts, they will unconditionally give you everything they have in their bodies... Chen Jin also said that besides the beautiful scenery, these girls are his favorite in Dali. They are like a cloud. When they come, it is a sunny day. When they leave, they follow the wind of Dali and head south... Even when they leave, they leave behind the most beautiful sunset and never cast a shadow in his heart.
He was such a beast, sleeping with others and then talking about it in such a poetic way. But Dali is indeed such a place, where countless people come and go every day amidst the romance and beauty. They're gone, but those nights filled with stories remain in the hearts of people like Chen Jin, forever etched in their memories!
In my silence, Chen Jin jokingly said to me, "When we have more spare cash, let's buy a convertible. We can take on some travel photography jobs now and then. Who knows, we might even meet a girl we click with on the road!"
As the wind blew in my face, I squinted and replied, "If you feel that your life's value can be realized in something like this, then go ahead and do it."
"I was just joking with you, why are you taking it so seriously?"
"Didn't you always admire Nicole's noble soul? When you have these filthy thoughts, don't you feel any guilt at all?"
Chen Jin laughed: "I'm a rather greedy person, so while I admire Nicole's noble soul, I'm also 'obsessed' with Tina's voluptuous sex appeal. Whenever I think of them, I feel that the world is particularly beautiful because my body and spirit are very satisfied. Once a person has a sense of satisfaction, those feelings of guilt you mentioned don't matter anymore... So... I really enjoy this kind of unrestrained feeling of 'drinking tonight and dying for tomorrow.'"
"Be careful not to lose your integrity!"
"If achieving happiness requires sacrificing one's integrity, then I choose happiness..."
Chen Jin seemed to have completely opened up. He took off his sunglasses and said loudly to me, "Look at Cangshan Mountain on your left, and Erhai Lake on your right... If you're in a place like this and you still use strict rules and regulations to confine yourself, then you're the number one idiot in the world..."
As he spoke, he put his middle finger and thumb into his mouth and then whistled loudly... After attracting the attention of the girls sitting in the jeep, he waved to them flirtatiously...
He had captivating, almond-shaped eyes, and after growing a beard in Dali, his appearance became not only sexy but also more mature, making him easy to win over women. The girls, charmed by his advances, couldn't help but smile at him or call him "handsome" in the wind. One girl even tossed him a prop flower she was holding for a photo. The car was moving, and Chen Jin couldn't catch it; the flower fell to the ground, and the wind scattered petals across the rearview mirror…
Chen Jin laughed, and the girls in the jeep laughed too.
Watching Chen Jin take his hands off the steering wheel, I felt a pang of emotion... At that moment, he released not only the steering wheel, but also the shackles of fate that bound him. Suddenly, right and wrong seemed less important to him... If he truly found happiness in this, as his friend, I didn't want to say anything more to him.
What kind of opportunities do I need to experience to fully open myself up like Chen Jin?
...
Back in the ancient city, Chen Jin and I went to the "Women's Flower" bar. It was rare to see Tina and Nicole together in the same place. Yang Sisi, Bai Lu, Nie Dangdang's father Lao Nie, Xiao Song from the car rental company, and Sanbao, the innkeeper I recently met, were also there. Even Cao Xue had given up his habit of going to the bathhouse every night and was sitting there chatting seriously with Nicole...
These people come from all walks of life, but they all gathered here today for me. I am very touched. I feel that I have finally found such a heartwarming circle in Dali, and it is they who make me want to stay in this place for a long time.
Chen Jin is shameless. He actually gave Tina a bottle of perfume in front of Nicole, and then gave Nicole a box of face masks in front of Tina. As a result, he was scolded by both of them, but he didn't care and went to chat with Yang Sisi at the next table.
For some reason, Yang Sisi didn't like him much, so he got the short end of the stick again... Yang Sisi's mouth was so sharp; every word she said could make him feel ashamed.
But having him around is really great, because the moments when he gets rejected by women are the funniest for us.
So, I smoked a cigarette while laughing at the jokes he made... At that moment, I didn't feel out of place, nor was I too lonely... I believe that if Lao Mi and my mom could see this scene, they would definitely be very relieved about me now.
...
Amidst the laughter, my phone vibrated on the table. I laughed and looked down at it...
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