I tore up all my plane tickets, and the pieces scattered on the rocks at my feet. I don't want to try to describe my feelings at this moment. I just stared blankly at the lights across the sea. I wanted to smoke a cigarette, but the pack was empty.
I don't know how much time had passed when Chen Jin called me, saying that everyone was already waiting at the restaurant and that I should hurry over.
Even so, I sat by Erhai Lake for another ten minutes before leaving Majiuyi and returning to the ancient city.
...
When I arrived at the agreed-upon restaurant, almost everyone I knew was there, except for a very few who had already left Dali; so without a doubt, this was going to be another night of drinking until we were completely drunk, but for me now, that wasn't a bad thing.
Because I've been lonely in Jimo for so long, I need this kind of release.
...
Everyone was really there to drink with me, so much so that I only lasted an hour before falling asleep at the table.
I don't know who took me back in the end. Anyway, I was unconscious until midnight before I woke up. Then I kept vomiting, and then I couldn't fall back asleep... Based on my experience after getting drunk, I started drinking water constantly and going back and forth between the bed and the toilet, just so I could feel better in the morning, because I am someone who gets hangovers very easily.
I lay half-reclined on the bed, and after dozing off for a while, light came in from outside the window.
I got up and drew back the curtains. The sun was already faintly hanging on the mountains opposite Erhai Lake, and the rosy clouds were like shy faces, delicately reflected in Erhai Lake.
I always thought Dali was most beautiful at dusk; I never imagined that Dali would be so breathtakingly beautiful in the morning as well…
I couldn't help but think of Yang Sisi again. I felt that this morning was so similar to hers. Both were beautiful, and for some reason, I had overlooked them.
I went back to my bedside, grabbed my phone, and captured this morning with my camera. Then, using this photo as the background, I posted my first WeChat Moments update in almost a year... I didn't say much, just that I was back.
...
After washing up, I didn't rest anymore. I didn't want to waste such a beautiful morning, so I went to Erhai Lake again. Although there's plenty of time in the future, I still want to see it to my heart's content in the few days since I got back.
Actually, you can never get enough of it, because the beauty of Erhai Lake is not entirely in itself, but in the artistic cloak that people have put on it. This is not pseudo-artistic; it symbolizes a free and enjoyable attitude towards life.
According to Chen Jin, many people from other places have come to Dali this year, drawn by its artistic atmosphere, and a new circle has formed. This circle is mostly composed of people from the arts and culture world, including writers, directors, painters, and even many established celebrities. They have started buying houses around Erhai Lake so that it will be convenient for them to vacation here.
Across from me is a high-end villa area. A huge billboard stands at the entrance of the sales office, with the slogan "Buy a house in Hai Dongfang and become neighbors with XX celebrities." It looks very impressive.
Although I don't like this kind of gimmick, it's undeniable that Dali's future will become increasingly bright and commercialized.
Ye Zhi saw this most clearly. Two years ago, she told me: Dali will eventually go further and further down the road of commercialization and become a paradise for the rich. The only ones who will truly persevere are the idealistic young people who come to Dali to pursue their artistic dreams... But their dreams will crumble little by little under the crushing power of capital... In short, in the face of money, all ideals and perseverance are worthless... because the 'government' won't just give you a piece of land to build a utopia just because you have a dream.
This was a lesson she taught me, so I've never gone against the tide of commercialization... I transformed myself into a shrewd and pragmatic person, and earned my first fortune in Dali, while most people are still working as waiters in cafes or bars, earning meager wages while pursuing their artistic dreams. Their glamorous lives are limited to their WeChat Moments, but their actual living conditions are extremely precarious.
In this respect, I should thank Ye Zhi. Although she is like a dream, living in my world, it is precisely because of her that I have seen the most realistic side of this world.
So, was she just a dream?
...
I lit a cigarette and forced myself not to think about her. To distract myself, I took out my phone and called Yu Tou... I should call him too, because my Jimny is still in Jimo and needs someone to deliver it to me.
Fish Head seemed to still be asleep, so he answered the phone with great impatience. He said to me, "Damn it, calling me so early, isn't that annoying?!"
My voice was low and deep: "Fish Head, something terrible has happened. Don't go to sleep yet."
Fish Head suddenly felt weak and asked cautiously, "What happened?"
"When I woke up this morning, I did some quick calculations... a monster from the M78 Nebula is about to invade Earth. Wake up, let's save the planet together."
"Fuck...Get out!"
I laughed.
Fish Head added, "M78 Nebula is the territory of the Ultra Family... When you're bragging, can you at least do some research first!"
I was stunned for a while before I realized what was going on. This guy's anger was really strange. He wasn't angry that I was teasing him, but he was angry that I hadn't remembered the origin of the M78 Nebula... I guess this is just the weird temper of a rich kid, kind of neurotic.
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