I was halfway through my song when Yang Sisi burst out laughing. Her eyes were blurry as she said to me, "What kind of nonsense is that?... If you have the whole world, how can you not have ordinary love?... And why should love be ordinary? Love should be something passionate and intense!"
I stopped, stared at her for a long time, and then replied, "You're so boring, you know that?"
“You’re the boring one. I just want to find an interesting man to love to the point of obsession…” She paused for a moment, kicked me, and continued, “I don’t want to marry that sissy Xiao Bao… I really don’t want to… I really, really don’t want to…”
"I'm not a little leopard, why are you kicking me?"
"Because you're even worse... At least Little Leopard knows how to treat me well... What about you? All you do is scheme against me and even hit me... Do I owe you anything?"
"Who knows who owes whom?"
After I finished speaking, I looked at the bewildered Yang Sisi and suddenly felt sorry for her. Actually, before coming to Dali, she was like a caged canary, outwardly beautiful but inwardly restless and empty. That's why she desperately wanted to come to Dali, this kaleidoscope-like city. But she didn't know that beneath the glamorous exterior, love and affection in Dali also come at a price.
After a moment of silence, I said to her again, "It's getting late, go to sleep."
"I don't want to sleep, I just want to find someone to chat with."
"Go to sleep..."
Yang Sisi yelled at me, "I'm not sleeping... I slept enough when I was in Shanghai!"
I was getting a little annoyed by her, so I lit a cigarette, took a drag, and replied, "I didn't think you were particularly clear-headed when you were in Dali..."
Yang Sisi stared at me with wide eyes, and after a long while, said, "Just like there are no perfect people, there's no perfect city... Michael, why don't you help me find a boyfriend? Maybe then you won't hate me so much!"
"How about I find you another father, and while I'm at it, I'll also take care of your living expenses here."
"Aren't you a bastard... Can't you just talk to me properly?"
I took another deep drag of my cigarette and replied, "When you complain about others, can you at least think about what you said yourself?... Oh, I'm introducing you to a boyfriend now, and a year later you just walk away from Dali. Wouldn't that be a terrible thing to do?"
Yang Sisi just looked at me without saying anything, so I said to her again, "The class 'attributes' you carry mean you're not suited for Dali... The men who are good enough for you are all living in big cities, wearing the most glamorous clothes, driving luxury cars, and living in mansions... They need a woman like you who is both well-matched and beautiful, so they can have face, understand?"
"You're disgusting, talking about love like it's a transaction!"
"For some people, it's a transaction."
"Then get lost... We're not on the same page!"
"You're the one who should get out; this is my inn."
"I told you to go upstairs and go to sleep..."
I glanced at her and noticed that she seemed much more awake than before, so I said to her, "Then I'll go upstairs first. Go to the guest room next door and get a kettle to boil some water, otherwise you'll feel unwell when you wake up tomorrow morning."
"Didn't you say you wanted to find me a father? Go find one quickly, I want my father to boil water for me."
"I can't communicate with you, so you'll have to suffer the consequences."
...
After leaving Yang Sisi's room, I returned to my own. Although it was brighter and more spacious, I couldn't recapture the feeling from before. My emotions were no longer at peace, and I kept replaying Yang Sisi's words in my mind. She was truly ignorant and fearless, actually yearning for a love so intense it was almost unbearable. It seemed she had never truly loved!
And what about me? After experiencing a relationship that felt like I was living a life worse than death, do I still have any desire for women and love?
I'm not sure what I'm thinking. At least for now, I have no desire to find a woman. I'd rather live alone because I still love Lu Jia, miss the tenderness she gave me, and hate the reality she brought me...
But how can I contact her? Her old number is now occupied by a very uncivilized woman. She made me completely lose contact with Lu Jia, and I should hate her... I should hate everyone who makes me unhappy!
But isn't living such a calculating life even more exhausting? So, I started to hate myself for overthinking and refusing to sleep in the middle of the night!
...
The next day, I got up early and walked from Longkan to Majiuyi. Although the journey was long, I saw some beautiful scenery I hadn't seen before. It turns out that Dali not only boasts natural landscapes like Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake, but also many man-made estates. Near Majiuyi, there was such an estate, filled with flowers and plants, raising some rare miniature horses, and even hiring wandering singers to perform for tourists on a flower-covered stage… I inquired and found the entrance fee was inexpensive, only 20 yuan per person. Yet, one could enjoy Dali's blue skies, colorful clouds, and the beauty of Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake without time constraints.
I've made up my mind. When I pick up Peach later, I'll treat her to a meal and drinks at this manor. I love this kind of leisurely life!
...
Upon arriving in Mayuyi, I found the owner of the "Haitu Inn," asked him for Ye Zhi's room key, and chatted with him for a while. I learned that Ye Zhi also worked in the hotel industry, but unlike our small-scale operations, she ran ultra-luxury five-star hotels…
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