Peach had been past security for a long time, but I was still standing there. Only after no one paid any attention to me, this strange person, did I snap out of my self-created world of sadness and walk out of the terminal dejectedly...
What greeted me was a world so beautiful it broke my heart. I saw clouds floating in the sky, the sun a golden disc, and trees standing on distant mountains like chocolate bars. They wove a fairytale scene before me... But it was all an illusion, because I also saw an airplane break through the clouds and fly into the sky. Inside the airplane sat a sad peach, and on the ground was a sad me...
If everything could be a fairy tale, then where does our sadness come from?
As I thought about it, I laughed again... but I didn't know why I was laughing; it was just an instinct to not want to cry.
...
After leaving the airport, I found a car wash on the roadside and thoroughly cleaned Ye Zhi's car before going to a gas station. Paying the bill was painful because the G-Wagon's gas tank was so huge; it cost me a full 600 yuan to fill it up. 600 yuan was three days' wages back in Shanghai! This made me acutely aware of the class difference between myself and Ye Zhi. The only reason we were still friends was because of a chance encounter on the highway.
After finishing all that, it was already 11 o'clock when I returned to the guesthouse. Yang Sisi had been thinking about my promise to treat her to hot pot the night before, so she had been sitting in the guesthouse's common area waiting for me for a long time.
While playing on her phone, she said to me, "Sister Bailu just talked to me. She said she'll take me to her friend's hotel for training this afternoon, so could you add a little extra beef to our hot pot today?"
"Is there any connection between the two? Beef is very expensive!"
"Who knows how long the training will last? We won't be coming back to the inn often after that, so of course we have to get our money's worth from you."
"I don't have money, I'll just eat normally, why would I want beef?"
"Who are you kidding? You're the richest person in the inn. You're the largest shareholder, and you even paid for the water purification equipment. Sister Bai Lu told me all that."
"That's all other people's money."
Yang Sisi finally put down her phone, then looked up at me and asked in a cryptic tone, "Whose is it?"
"Just remember that I'm a poor 'bastard,' and don't ask me anything else, and don't even think about trying to get something out of me."
"But I just want to eat yak meat from here. I've been feeling listless lately, so I checked Baidu. Baidu said I have too much dampness in my body and I need to eat yak meat to get rid of it."
"Why doesn't Baidu give you a magic pill to eat? ...Is it really meaningful to keep freeloading like this?"
Yang Sisi came to my side shyly, then said with a grin, "You've come all the way to Yunnan, how can you not eat yak meat from Shangri-La? Let me tell you, the yak meat we ate in Shanghai was all frozen, only the meat here is fresh."
“I’ve never had yak meat when I was in Shanghai… Stop talking nonsense. I have to go to Majiuyi later to pick up Ye Zhi. I’ve been using their car for the past few days, so I have to treat them to a meal to thank them.”
Yang Sisi immediately became unhappy and shouted, "You promised to treat me, so why did you bring someone else along?"
"Don't give me that look. Are you worried that such a big hot pot restaurant can't accommodate you?"
"No, I haven't made up with her yet."
"Isn't that a perfect opportunity for you two to make up... Hurry up and leave."
As I spoke, I dragged Yang Sisi outside the inn, and we happened to run into Tie Nan, who had just returned from outside. He didn't look well and seemed to still be recovering from the effects of the alcohol from the previous night.
I was hesitant to avoid him, unsure how to explain to him that Peach had left. But he grabbed my arm and asked, "Is Peach up yet?"
I was taken aback for a moment, but Yang Sisi quickly replied, "Taozi left, right? I saw Mi Gao seeing her off this morning; she was carrying her luggage."
"You're gone? We agreed to circle Erhai Lake again this afternoon. I've already borrowed a car from a friend!"
"They had an emergency at the hotel, so they left first."
Tie Nan was agitated: "What kind of lousy hotel is this? We've only been here two days, can't they even give us some personal space?!...No, I have to call Taozi, give me her phone number."
"The person hasn't even gotten off the plane yet, why are you making phone calls?"
"Give me your number, I'll send her a message first, and then I'll call her after she replies."
I removed Tie Nan's hand from mine, then handed him a cigarette. After lighting it, I whispered to him, "Don't you understand? Tao Zi just doesn't want to get entangled with you. Otherwise, why wouldn't she leave you her phone number?"
"You're fucking talking nonsense."
"Really, you're all my friends, and I'd love to set you two up, but Peach doesn't have any romantic feelings for you at all."
"This is even more ridiculous... We almost slept together last night, and you're saying she doesn't like me? Do you think I'd believe you?"
Before I could even speak, Yang Sisi was already speechless with shock. She pointed at Tie Nan and said, "How can you two be so casual? It's only the first day or the second day you've met? ...Can you please stop distorting my worldview?"
"Come on, you even told your parents that I slept with you, and that you can do whatever you want with anyone else!?"
Yang Sisi stomped on my foot and angrily said, "I only made that up to get back at you! They were using real guns and ammunition! ...This world is truly terrifying!"
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