Dali is not a purely ancient city; it also has a modern side. So, traveling from the ancient city to Xiaguan is like a journey on the back of history. When you arrive in Xiaguan, you will see skyscrapers, experience traffic jams, and see all kinds of neon-lit billboards standing by the roadside.
Erhai Lake is a solid line that connects the ancient city and Xiaguan to one's side, unfolding one life story after another that oscillates between reality and fantasy, ultimately "forcing" some people to escape, while making others love it even more.
If I were also a part of this city, I would hope to be the latter. Because I have already staked everything I could on this diverse city without hesitation.
At 7:30, I arrived at the airport, but I felt a little out of place being surrounded by traffic. It seemed like I was the only one picking someone up from the airport on a motorcycle.
This made me really annoyed with Tie Nan, because that guy is incredibly selfish. Even if he took Taozi on a detour to Jizhao Nunnery, those five hours would have been enough for him to circle Erhai Lake. The reason he couldn't make it back was entirely because he wanted to spend more time with Taozi, so he drove a perfectly good G-Wagon like a tractor, directly causing my current predicament. Putting everything else aside, if Ye Zhi had a large suitcase, how could I expect this beat-up motorcycle to carry both of us, along with that big suitcase, back?
...
As darkness fell, I glanced at my watch again; it was already 8 PM. I figured Ye Zhi should be on her phone by now, so I sent her a WeChat message: "I'm waiting for you at Exit 5. Do you have a lot of luggage?"
Ye Zhi replied a moment later: "Not long, I've already gotten off the plane, please wait a moment."
My gaze unconsciously shifted to the motorcycle beside me, and a sense of unease began to creep into my heart. I couldn't quite figure out Ye Zhi's personality. Sometimes she was quite easy to talk to, but other times she could be incredibly serious. So, I didn't know if she minded that I had given her motorcycle to Tie Nan, while I had driven this beat-up junk to pick her up.
When I looked up again, Ye Zhi was already standing at the entrance of Gate 5, peering at me from the crowd. I was relieved that she didn't have much luggage, but unfortunately, she looked so striking in the crowd that my motorcycle looked increasingly ridiculous. If she were a woman who valued the quality of her travels, I think I was in for a world of trouble.
I walked nervously toward her, and she saw me a moment later. She was still somewhat indifferent, not even giving me a smile during this meeting, which made me even more uneasy... So, I mentally cursed Tie Nan a thousand times over.
I finally stood face to face with Ye Zhi, and then asked with a smile, "You must be tired?"
"A little."
"Then hurry up and go... I'll treat you to dinner at Brother Cheng and Sister Li's place later to help you replenish your energy."
"Thanks."
"No need to be so polite, it's just a meal."
"Thank you for picking me up."
I felt a little embarrassed and replied, "No need to thank me. I just arrived in Dali and have been pretty free." After saying that, I added guiltily, "Let's go, the car is parked over there."
Ye Zhi responded and followed me to where the motorcycles were parked. We stopped together next to the motorcycles, and I gritted my teeth and shamelessly handed her one of the helmets, saying, "This... well, your motorcycle was taken by Tie Nan to take my friend around the sea, and the road is probably congested... it hasn't come back yet... so you'll have to make do with this thing!"
Ye Zhi frowned.
My heart clenched and began to race. I almost lit a cigarette to ease the tension. But I managed to stay calm and said to her, "Then I'll call you a taxi."
Ye Zhi took the helmet from my hand and said, "Dali has been working to become a civilized city, and there are traffic police and auxiliary police everywhere on the road. How did you manage to ride this unlicensed motorcycle to the airport?"
"So that's what you're curious about!"
I breathed a sigh of relief and replied with a smile, "It mainly depends on your mental fortitude. There are so many motorcyclists on the road. As long as you don't show any fear in front of them, they generally won't pay attention."
"But I'll look insecure. What if I can't cooperate with you well?"
"Just kidding, you always love to joke... You're always so composed, like you'd be unfazed even if Mount Tai collapsed before you, how could you be afraid of such a small thing?"
"I'm afraid of losing face."
I put on my helmet before Ye Zhi did, and then replied, "This is easy. If we are unfortunately caught later, just stand aside and pretend you don't know me."
Ye Zhi didn't say anything more. She put on her helmet and then sat on Tie Nan's unremarkable motorcycle after me... She kept a certain distance from me, and the wind blew through the gap between us before merging into the city's neon lights... The world gradually quieted down, but my heart felt as if it had been gently grasped by a pair of hands and lifted into the air above the city. I seemed to see Erhai Lake and the Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple, which stood tall in the ancient city and were worshipped by everyone.
I let out a soft breath, finally started the motorcycle, and then said to Ye Zhi behind me, "Sit tight, we're leaving now."
...
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