After arriving at the airport, I went to get my boarding pass, but I encountered a little trouble going through security because porridge is a liquid. I explained for a long time that the porridge was very thick and almost solid, and then I took a sip in front of her before I was able to pass through security.
At 4:30 a.m., the plane took off on time. I was quite tired, so I slept all the way from Dali to Shanghai. By the time the plane landed, it was already bright in Shanghai. The whole city was like a giant machine, in full operation. Although we hadn't been to the city center yet, I could already imagine the street vendors walking through the alleys and the people sitting in their cars waiting for the green light... These things, while not unique to Shanghai, are very representative of Shanghai's characteristics.
Instead of contacting Yang Sisi immediately, I went to the bathroom and splashed my face with cold water, trying to make myself look more refreshed.
I roughly knew where Yang Sisi lived, so after hailing a taxi, I vaguely told the driver the location before sending Yang Sisi a message.
"Where do you live? Give me a detailed address and I'll send you something."
At a busy intersection, the car had been stuck in traffic for ten minutes, but Yang Sisi still hadn't replied to the message.
A bad feeling crept over me, and I called Yang Sisi again, only to be disappointed to find that she had already turned off her phone. There were two possibilities: either she was still asleep, or she had already boarded the plane.
The latter is more likely, because in my memory, Yang Sisi did not have the habit of turning off her phone when she went to sleep.
...
At 8:20, I got off the bus near Yang Sisi's house, accompanied by a sense of melancholy with nowhere to go. Especially in this villa area near the suburbs, there are few vehicles coming and going. Finding some unfamiliar faces to relieve boredom is quite a luxury, let alone finding a hotel or guesthouse to rest in.
However, I wasn't that disappointed, probably because I was mentally prepared not to meet her before I came. But I was still a little disappointed, since this was the first time I had come to Shanghai for Yang Sisi since we met, only to end up empty-handed.
I carried the insulated box and walked towards the end of the road under the glaring sunlight, then sat down in a shady spot, gradually losing all hope.
However, Dali and Shanghai are so far apart, I really didn't want to make a wasted trip, so I started thinking about where to go later... at least to find some ideas for the career I want to pursue; it was right to look for ideas in Shanghai, because many industries here are in a leading position in the country, so it is very valuable for reference.
Yes, besides Shanghai, Hangzhou, which is relatively close, is also worth a visit. Hangzhou's high-tech parks have many projects that are worth learning from.
Thinking about it this way, I felt much more at ease.
...
Before I left the villa area, I received a call from Nicole. She asked me, "Michael, did you use the kitchen last night?"
"I used it, so what?"
"Where did you put the salt? I've been looking for it for ages, but I can't find it."
"Go buy another bag. I've used it all up, and there's not much left in the bag."
"What did you eat? So much salt! Aren't you afraid of dying from the saltiness?!"
"The preserved egg and lean pork congee didn't use much salt at all, there was just a little bit left."
Nicole laughed: "You're not making this for yourself, are you? It takes a lot of effort to make this porridge well."
"Look at what you're saying. What's wrong with me putting in the effort to cook something for myself?"
"You got up in the middle of the night to make congee with preserved egg and lean pork, adding scallions, ginger, and cilantro without skimping on anything... Do you think you're the kind of man who's so meticulous about himself?"
A woman's insightful abilities instilled fear in me. I sighed and replied, "It's such a waste that God gave you such a great talent and you're not using it to be a detective!"
"Haha... I have no interest in being a detective. I'd rather use this talent to deal with a man with ulterior motives... Tell me, who is this for?"
"Who do you want me to make this for?"
"You're really something! I was just curious, absolutely without any bias!"
I smiled and then told her the truth: "It's good that you don't have any bias... I made this century egg and lean pork congee for Sisi, and then flew it to Shanghai overnight, but I didn't run into her. She's probably wandering around outside her neighborhood right now."
"You're not kidding?"
"If you've ever heard the saying 'Treat others as you would like to be treated,' you definitely won't think I'm joking..."
After a brief pause, I continued, "I don't know how to describe my feelings for her, but sometimes I really want to do something for her."
"You've developed feelings for her?"
After a moment of silence, I replied, "I don't know if it's related to falling in love... It's just that when I think back on all these years we've been together, through thick and thin, never abandoning each other... I feel like I can't live without this person by my side. She always gives me the most practical help when I'm in my most difficult times, so I can't keep ignoring her feelings or intentionally or unintentionally hurting her... Sometimes, I also think: Why am I always living a heart-wrenching life for a woman who doesn't care about me, while ignoring the one who truly gives me warmth by my side?... It's not worth it, really..."
Nicole remained silent.
I then asked, "Nicole, when I think like this, does it mean that my attitude towards relationships has become more mature?"
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