An'an's question was exactly the one I had been avoiding in my heart. I always felt that if I had to rank Yang Sisi and Ye Zhi in my heart, it would be when I was drunk. But now I am sober, so there is a particularly rational weighing in my mind. I will think of the time I spent with Yang Sisi, and then I will think of the time I spent with Ye Zhi.
There is no superior or inferior, only genuine feelings, joy, anger, sorrow, happiness, bitterness, and everything in between!
In my silence, An'an said to me again, "Michael, you're not going to be such a sore loser, are you?... I just answered so many questions."
"If you ask me the same question, I can answer it too."
Tie Nan chimed in, saying, "Our game has only just begun. You'll have plenty of opportunities to be asked questions. Answer this first... Don't try to muddle through."
Everyone echoed Tie Nan's sentiments, then turned their attention back to me, as if they wouldn't be satisfied until I solved the problem...
...
After a moment of contemplation, I finally replied under everyone's gaze: "In retrospect, it might really be fate. I met them both on my way to Dali. One gave me sunshine, and I gave her the dream to pursue. So, I never thought of ranking them in my heart..."
Before I could finish speaking, Tie Nan banged an empty Coke bottle on the table and said, "Scumbag, scumbag..."
Others joined in the commotion, and I was immediately overwhelmed by cries of "scumbag"... This made me feel very embarrassed, but I couldn't find a suitable reason to extricate myself from this awkward situation.
At this point, even Coach Ma, who hadn't said much, spoke up and said to me, "Michael, this is a bit pointless. We're all on the same side, there's no need to give us such a smooth answer..."
I closed my eyes and savored the past few years again, then whispered to everyone, "If you insist on forcing me to choose, then I choose Sisi."
Everyone asked in unison, "Why?"
"Didn't we agree to respect the rules of the game?... I've already answered the question, so I don't need to answer 'why' outside the rules, do I?"
"Scumbag, scumbag..."
This time, no matter how they shouted, I remained unmoved... But when I thought of Ye Zhi, a strong sense of loss welled up inside me. She was like a dream I could never realize, shining brightly on a distant mountaintop.
...
The game continued, and this time both Coach Ma and I flipped over a King, while Tie Nan had the lowest card, a 5. I felt a surge of excitement, but before I could speak, Coach Ma asked Tie Nan, "Tell me honestly, how many women have you ruined over the years?"
Tie Nan thought for a moment and replied, "It's not that I'm being slick... I really can't remember... I remember when I was running the inn, I had the most romantic encounters, basically every week."
Some of them didn't even know each other's names, but somehow ended up sleeping together!
I added, "Then who is the one you remember the most? You must remember that!"
Apart from An'an, who was unaware of the situation, everyone else at the scene cast curious glances at Tie Nan. We all knew about his past relationship with Tao Zi and wanted to know if he had truly let go of it. Tao Zi had already married someone else for the sake of making a living, and there was no possibility for them to be together again. We all hoped that he could use this issue to say something that would help him let go of the past.
Unexpectedly, Tie Nan replied with a smile, "If I had to pick the most unforgettable one, it would definitely be that girl who studied dance. Not only was she fair-skinned and had long legs, but her temperament was also impeccable. It's a pity I didn't get her contact information back then... Thinking about it, it was five or six years ago. She must be married by now... So, Michael, isn't your question a bit too unethical?! This is openly talking about someone else's wife... You don't deserve to be a part of a harmonious society!"
Coach Ma and I exchanged a glance, both seeing surprise in each other's eyes... Neither of us expected that the person he mentioned wasn't Peach!
At this point, Tie Nan had already shuffled the cards again, and then dealt one card to each of us.
This time he got a Queen, which was the best card for Coach Ma; Tie Nan threw the card on the table, and then, with a sense of vengeful pleasure, laughed loudly: "Finally, it's your turn... Tell me, are you planning to remarry Bai Lu or not?"
...
This game wasn't complicated, but it tore human nature to shreds. The most hypocritical one was Tie Nan, because we all knew he wasn't telling the truth. Whether it was a coincidence or not, he drank the most at the party. He was already drunk before a large lobster even hit the grill...
An'an drank the least. She was lucky because after Zhi Tienan asked her that question, she never lost again. So in my eyes, she is still a woman I don't know very well. I don't even know her full name or who the man behind her is.
...
Ping Ge had also drunk too much. After An An and I settled them in, the two of us sat on the beach in the backyard and started chatting. It had indeed been a long time since we had talked alone. I spoke first to her, saying, "It's a pity I didn't get a chance to ask you earlier."
"You can ask now if you want to."
"Then I'll ask."
"Um."
"I've known you for quite a while now, and I've always called you An'an, but I still don't know your full name... Is your surname An? Or does your name contain the character An?"
An An replied with a smile, "I thought you were going to ask a difficult question... My full name is An An, my surname is An, and my given name is also An... Because I was frail and sickly when I was young, my dad gave me this name, which means double peace and health... Unfortunately, he himself suffered many misfortunes and passed away when I was a sophomore in college."
Seeing An'an's sad face
"Sorry... I brought up some sad memories for you." I quickly replied apologetically.
"It's okay... I was really sad before, feeling like I had lost the biggest support in my life... but I've slowly gotten over it now..."
She paused briefly, then continued, "Actually, I have a father complex, so only successful middle-aged men can give me the greatest sense of security..."
"Your dad must be a very charming man that you admire."
"Yes, he was a famous painter in our area... Unfortunately, I didn't like painting, so I stubbornly chose film and television as my major in college... My dad was quite sad at the time, and it has become my biggest regret... So now, whenever I have time, I learn to paint traditional Chinese paintings from a master painter in the district, as a way to make up for this regret... I really miss him!"
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