On the way to the hotel, I kept the car window down the whole time. Not to admire the scenery, but to let my mind relax a bit. When I was in Dali, my favorite thing to do, besides going to Erhai Lake, was to drive on National Highway 214 and enjoy the feeling of the wind blowing freely from afar...
After Yang Sisi drove off National Highway 214, I learned that Cao Xiaobei's wedding was being held at the hotel developed by the "Binjiang Group" in Dali...
This makes perfect sense, after all, the hotel is luxurious enough, and Cao Jinbo is a business partner of Binjiang Group... But I still feel a little uneasy, especially after Tie Nan gave me the old business license, and that hotel was built on the ruins of our guesthouse.
This is not inheritance, this is destruction... If it weren't for this hotel, our inn wouldn't have collapsed, and if the inn hadn't collapsed, none of these things would have happened.
Thinking of all this, I subconsciously glanced at Yang Sisi, who was driving, and said to her with some emotion, "I really didn't expect Tie Nan to give me this... He's quite sentimental!"
"How can I not be nostalgic? I spent the best years of my life there... I still remember the excitement I felt when I first came to Dali... Do you remember?"
With deep emotion, I replied, "I can't forget it... I was truly astonished at the time. I never knew life could be lived like this!... A group of us, from all corners of the country, were more than friends; we were like family. Together, we built our own home, right on the beautiful shores of Erhai Lake. We drank and roasted lamb in our courtyard... Even when we talked about those painful memories, there was a touch of world-weariness and carefree spirit... This place truly could heal a person's heart... I thought these days would last a long time, perhaps even a lifetime... But everyone has their own ambitions. In the end, those who shouldn't have drifted apart did, and those who should have stayed didn't stay..."
I sighed softly and said, "Thinking about these things really makes me feel terrible!"
Yang Sisi smiled bitterly and replied, "It's ironic, everyone in this inn back then is now capable of standing on their own, but no one wants to reopen it... People really do change... You no longer care about this small business; Tie Nan doesn't want to live in memories related to Taozi; Coach Ma is someone who doesn't care much about business... Anyway, we can't go back to the past!"
"Life is full of helplessness. For things that cannot be forced, it's best to let nature take its course."
Yang Sisi glanced at me and then fell silent.
...
As expected, Cao Xiaobei's wedding was indeed held at the "Binjiang Group" hotel. When Yang Sisi and I arrived, the hotel entrance was already filled with all sorts of luxury cars, mostly with Dali and Kunming license plates; the Kunming plates were mostly from the bride's family connections, and the marriage between the two families here...
The hotel's parking lot, which has nearly 300 spaces, was completely full. The security guard told me and Yang Sisi that the entire hotel had been booked, and no outside vehicles were allowed in unless they had an invitation.
Just as Yang Sisi was about to call Cao Xiaobei, a horn sounded from behind the car. Yang Sisi and I turned around and saw Ye Zhi's Mercedes-Benz G-Class. It seemed that this car had become her official vehicle in Dali and had never been changed.
Yang Sisi glanced at me, then said, "Shall we step back and let her go first?"
I was just about to nod when Ye Zhi opened the car door and got out. She walked over to Yang Sisi's side and said with a smile, "When I saw it was a Shanghai license plate, I felt it might be you... My intuition was right... Have you run into trouble?"
Yang Sisi had indeed matured a lot. She didn't show any hostility towards Ye Zhi and replied with a smile, "We've run into trouble... We don't have invitations. If you can get us in, I won't call the groom."
"no problem."
As she spoke, Ye Zhi gestured to the security guard, who, being a man of principle, quickly opened the barrier for us. Then, Ye Zhi said to Yang Sisi, "There are quite a lot of people today, and the public parking spaces may already be full. You should come with me to park in the staff parking spaces."
"Okay, then I'll drive with you after we go inside."
Ye Zhi responded and got into her car. After we drove in, she pulled up ahead and led the way for us.
I don't know what Ye Zhi's expression was at that moment, but Yang Sisi, who is usually very lively, was silent, and I don't know what she was thinking.
...
Our car was a bit big, and Yang Sisi's driving skills weren't great. She tried twice but couldn't back the car into the parking space. In the end, she simply switched places with me, and let me, whose driver's license had been revoked, drive it in for her.
After parking my car, I thought everything was fine, but unexpectedly, Ye Zhi over there also ran into trouble. Her car was also huge, and the car next to her was parked improperly, with one of its wheels directly on the line, causing Ye Zhi to try to back it in several times without success.
I'm quite hesitant; I don't know whether I should help her. I feel like we've become strangers...
Where has that passionate spirit of yours gone?
I looked at Yang Sisi and was speechless for a moment.
Yang Sisi smiled again and said, "I thought it was just me who had a bad sense of space. It turns out this is a common problem for female drivers, and she is no exception."
"The car next to her crossed the line; that one was really hard to park!"
"Really? So you're planning to stand by my side and watch her make a fool of herself?... Come to think of it, she's really pathetic. The whole world knows she has a fiancé, but when she's around, no one has ever seen his face... What's the point of having a fiancé like that?... It's much better to have you, my male best friend, by my side."
Honey, it's always there when there's trouble, it can be put to good use immediately..."
I looked at Yang Sisi, completely baffled as to what she was trying to say.
She smiled thoughtfully, then whispered to me, "The three of us have known each other for over three years. I always feel inferior to her, but the more I feel that way, the more I want to compete with her. I know it's pathological, but what can I do? I care! ... Right now, for the only time in my life, I feel like I've won against her... Shouldn't I be happy? But why can't I feel happy at all... Michael, can you tell me?"
I couldn't quite describe the feeling in my heart, but I subconsciously looked towards Ye Zhi. She was indeed a woman who liked to face difficulties head-on. In the end, she relied on her own abilities to safely park the car in the parking space, and then walked towards us.
(End of Chapter)
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