When Yang Sisi suggested that I have dinner with her parents, I didn't object. I wanted to fulfill all her requests because I hoped it would be a wonderful memory, at least for her.
On the way from the airport to the city, we ran into the evening rush hour and unfortunately got stuck on the overpass. But Yang Sisi wasn't in a hurry at all. She first chose a song she liked to listen to, and then asked me, "You're not in a rush to leave this time, are you?"
"What's wrong?"
"Leopard, do you still remember?"
"I remember, you're Old Huang's son... I've always thought about you!"
"Don't mention this... She's getting married soon."
"He...he's getting married?!...Is he marrying someone out or bringing someone in?"
Yang Sisi pinched my clothes and said, "Why are you so mean! He may talk a little effeminately, but he's actually quite manly in his dealings with people..."
"I didn't realize that!"
"You really aren't afraid of pain!"
Yang Sisi pinched my hand harder, and I cried out in pain while admitting my mistake. Yang Sisi then let go of me, and then moved closer to me, laughing, "Are you jealous?... So you deliberately said bad things about Leopard."
"I don't even know his wife, why am I jealous?"
Yang Sisi was furious. She said to me angrily, "Don't play dumb with me... You dare to meet his wife and see what happens!"
I laughed out loud: "See? Who's jealous, you or me?"
Yang Sisi felt a little embarrassed and a little deflated. She replied, "Talking to someone as unreliable as you, we can't even get to the point!"
"Then get to the point: what does Leopard's marriage have to do with us?"
The car in front started to move slightly. Yang Sisi released the handbrake, moved forward a bit, and then said to me, "Bao has been studying abroad, so he doesn't have many friends in Shanghai. His fiancée is from Korea, so he has even fewer friends... That's why Bao asked me to help him find a best man and maid of honor a long time ago... If you're staying in Shanghai, that's perfect. I'll be the maid of honor, and you can be the best man."
My mood suddenly plummeted. In my current state, how could I possibly be a groomsman? If I walk even a little faster, I'll limp, making it impossible for me to help the groom at all.
"You don't want to?"
I forced a smile and said, "Have you ever seen a best man as old as me?"
"Anyone who has never been married can be a best man."
When is he getting married?
"Next Wednesday, there are still six days left. You probably won't be leaving, right?"
"It's hard to say, I'm just afraid something might suddenly happen."
Yang Si thought for a moment and replied, "That's true. Your whereabouts are always so unpredictable. If I were to confirm them and then you suddenly left, I'd be in big trouble!"
"Um."
I responded, and suddenly felt an urge to smoke. I opened the car window, but just as I was about to light the cigarette, I put it back in the pack... I need to control myself. I have to quit smoking and drinking... because I have a will to live, and I don't want to spend the rest of my life as a cripple.
I used to be an excellent basketball player and a sprinter, so I crave that feeling of running freely more than anyone else...
Yang Sisi misunderstood my motives. She said to me, "If you want to smoke, then smoke... There's an ashtray in the car, I don't mind."
"I'm not smoking anymore, I want to quit smoking."
Yang Sisi looked at me, but didn't say anything for a long time.
...
We drove along, stopping frequently, and by the time we reached the city, it was completely dark. Yang Sisi started to get nervous because she had arranged to have dinner with her parents at 7:30, and it was already 6:50, so we didn't have much time to buy clothes.
Walking side by side on the pedestrian street, the flashing lights made everyone's pace quicken, and the atmosphere was filled with the unique tension of Shanghai; I also wanted to walk faster, but I really couldn't keep up with Yang Sisi's pace...
Finally, Yang Sisi stopped in front of a men's clothing store. She turned to me and said, "Let's buy it here... Their suits are the best. I'll go next door later and buy you a thermal undershirt to wear underneath so you won't be cold."
Next to the men's clothing store was a top international brand that mainly sold women's clothing. I pulled Yang Sisi aside and said to her, "I'm not in a hurry. I'll buy you an outfit first."
"Why are you buying me clothes?... I already have so many clothes I can't even wear them all!"
"I just wanted to buy it for you, come inside."
Without giving Yang Sisi a chance to refuse, I forcibly pulled her into the store and personally helped her pick out a white outfit...
I paid the bill while she was trying on the clothes. I had confidence in her; I was sure she would look stunning in the outfit because white suits her best, just like her—pure and flawless.
Stepping out of the fitting room, Yang Sisi looked at herself in the mirror and then asked the sales clerk, "Does this style come in other colors?"
"Sis, this style only comes in one color... and this outfit is a limited edition... so if you wear it out, you're unlikely to run into anyone wearing the same thing."
"I'm sorry, I really don't like this color."
"This gentleman has already paid for you."
Yang Sisi looked at me, then pulled me aside and whispered, "This outfit costs over 30,000 yuan... Are you crazy?!"
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