Upon entering Brother Cheng and Sister Li's courtyard, I introduced Jian Zihan to them. They were as warm and welcoming as ever, especially after learning that Jian Zihan was Ye Zhi's friend, they treated her with special affection.
After Cheng Ge and Li Jie's meticulous renovation, the courtyard is like a completely different world compared to the outside. Especially the platform overlooking Erhai Lake, its style is in no way inferior to that of a five-star hotel designed by a professional designer.
Jian Zihan and I stood by the platform's railing, looking at Erhai Lake not far away...
With such a beautiful view before me, I habitually lit a cigarette and said to Jian Zihan, "Erhai Lake at dusk must be the most beautiful of the day... You're very lucky to have such a sight to see."
"But we can't see seagulls this season."
"There are no seagulls anymore, but the summer sky is more beautiful than the winter sky... especially at dusk, when all you can see is color."
"Is that so?"
Jian Zihan responded, took out a pack of women's cigarettes from her bag, and lit one for herself.
Then, she changed the subject and asked me, "What have you been busy with lately?"
"What else can I be busy with besides work?"
"It's good that you didn't let yourself be idle... I thought you would be depressed for a long time, but it seems I was overthinking it."
I glanced at Jian Zihan and asked, "Do you think my current state is wrong?"
"No... Just like you said, life always goes on... After all, life is so long, and Ye Zhi's departure will one day fade from our hearts... You will gradually put your energy back into your work and then look for a new life partner... I will do the same and make new friends."
"I don't like hearing these words."
"But that's the truth, no one can deny it... After she left, everything about her has been slowly changing. Not only us, but even the Cangshan Villa project has someone to replace her. This world has never stopped to wait for someone who has gone missing."
Jian Zihan's words saddened me, but I was powerless to refute them. After taking a deep drag of my cigarette, I focused on the key point and asked her, "Who is currently in charge of the Cangshan Villa project?"
"It's Ye Zhi's father who's in charge."
I was somewhat surprised.
Jian Zihan said with deep emotion, "Why is it that people only realize their regrets after they've lost something?... When Ye Zhi was around, she could never reach an agreement with her father on the Cangshan Villa project; now that she's gone, her father is implementing everything according to her previous ideas... But is that useful? No matter how much he does, Ye Zhi won't come back... But you've benefited. Cao Jinbo has reached a cooperation agreement with Binjiang Group, so naturally he won't make things difficult for you with the Jiulongju shops... He might even flatter you, because during his negotiations with Ye Zhi's father, Ye Zhi's father specifically brought up the shops... He'll feel that you still have some connection with Ye Zhi's father, so he won't dare to offend you easily... So, you can confidently and boldly pursue your business at Jiulongju."
These words finally cleared up some of the mysteries in my mind, but I don't know whether to feel happy or sad.
I never imagined that my father and Ye Zhi's father would become a choice in Ye Zhi's mind because of some business issues... and the final price was so terrible that neither of us could bear it. We both lost Ye Zhi.
In my silence, Jian Zihan asked, "Is Jiulongju's business going well?"
"The most difficult phase is over, and the situation is good now."
"That's good, at least Ye Zhi's wish has been fulfilled!"
After a brief pause, Jian Zihan asked again, "What are your plans for the future?... I mean, your love life. You're not going to stay single forever, are you?"
“I’ve been asked the same question a lot lately.”
"And your answer?"
“I want to wait for her… but that idea is unrealistic, especially these past few days. I feel I can’t get too caught up in this dream. I’ll not only ruin myself, but I’ll also ruin the people around me.”
Jian Zihan looked at me for a moment before replying, "Do you really think a miracle won't happen to Ye Zhi?"
I looked into her eyes, my heart racing... I said, "I don't know what you mean by asking that."
“I didn’t mean anything in particular, but hearing these words from you was really heartbreaking… It’s like no one will believe she’s still alive anymore, that she’s been completely abandoned by the world, that’s the feeling… But after the shipwreck, no one was able to see her body… Whether she’s alive or dead, she must have been incredibly lonely and miserable!”
After a moment of contemplation, I asked, "Have you ever considered that if she were still alive, why wouldn't she appear in our sight?"
“That’s why we all thought there wouldn’t be any more miracles happening to her… So, I don’t know how to explain it to you…”
After a brief pause, Jian Zihan continued, "I don't know if you've ever felt this way... Sometimes, when I look at the things she gave me, I feel a special closeness to her. I never feel like she's gone to another world, maybe she's just taken her luggage and gone on a trip to a very far place... But when I think about the experiences I had looking for her in Thailand, I feel like she's really gone... Anyway, I've been going through these two months in this kind of contradiction!"
These words struck a chord with me. I nodded and replied, "That's exactly the feeling. It makes people feel incredibly conflicted and in a lot of pain..."
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