It has extraordinary significance for life.
The alarm clock rang.
Du Pianjian turned over and continued sleeping. Yu Zou tiptoed out of the room, took his toothbrush cup from the sink, and went to the balcony to brush his teeth and enjoy the view. After the rain, everything looked as if it had been repainted with oil paint, the colors as bright as a painting.
A few minutes later, Du Pianjian stretched and came out, lying on the balcony with her eyes closed, still half asleep. Yu Zou only needed to lower his head slightly to see a porcelain-like back with white glaze along the back of her collar. Yu Zou brushed her teeth slowly and quickly, struggling internally, but finally managed to raise her head and fix her eyes on a seabird tilting its head and spinning along a blue, white and red circular platform on the opposite cliff.
"Go back to sleep."
"never mind."
"What are you looking at?" Yu Zou asked vaguely.
"What are you looking at?" Du Pianjian asked back, yawning.
Yu pointed the toothbrush over, and the two of them watched together until they saw the seabird try to take flight, but failed due to dizziness and fell off the roof.
"Black-headed seagulls are also a local specialty, would you like to try some?"
"Such a silly bird, it's probably not tasty."
Yu Zou changed into a white shirt with blue flowers; the simple tie-dye pattern overlapped to resemble the design of blue and white porcelain. Two buttons were undone at the chest, and an anchor-shaped platinum necklace swayed with it. Du Pianjian wore a white tank top, white shorts, and a loose, light green sun-protective top that was just a little longer than the shorts.
The yacht took the two to another small island opposite. The main road of the island was lined with shops, their glass windows dazzling the eye, but the doors were all closed, refusing customers. Only one bar was open, its sign reading "Echo" in a local dialect. The walls were roughly constructed of black and red volcanic rock, and unkempt dendrobium orchids climbed the roof. A complex aroma of alcohol and the cacophony of voices wafted from the wide-open door. Inside, the bar was dimly lit, making the decorations on the walls—such as crocodile skulls and paintings of poisonous mushrooms—appear even more eerie.
A waiter stood at the entrance and led the two to a table for two. The rough, round wooden table was covered in grime from the dishes, and the menu wrapped in plastic was faded. Yu Zou pointed to Du Pianjian, and the waiter immediately understood and turned the menu around.
"Two drinks." Du Pianjian handed back the menu, and Yu Zou placed a banknote on the table. The waiter smiled, picked it up, and left.
Gathering after the rain is a local custom. Rain means rest, sunshine means work, and the days before work are for partying. The music in the bars is passionate and unrestrained, people toast and dance to the beat, trying their best to be happy before the pain arrives.
The table was covered with colorful bottles of liquor. The two men made a bet to decide who would choose the next drink. They went from playing rock-paper-scissors to betting on whether the lyrics of a song were odd or even, and then on anything in the bar that could give them a chance to win, such as whether the waiter should step in with his left or right foot first, or whether the singer should open his mouth with his head up or down.
As the song ended, the music in the bar became soothing. Yu Zou tapped his fingers lightly on the table, and Du Pianjian glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, rarely hitting the beat. The lights in the bar dimmed, and the ring on his ring finger glowed in the shadows.
The red-faced, black-bearded bar owner walked onto the stage, sporting an old-fashioned avant-garde style—leather jacket, leather pants, and large studs. He gestured for the audience to be quiet. Yu Zou had already prepared his strategy; this was one of the bar owner's rules—everyone could participate in his game to win a prize.
Various items were displayed, and the game was a gambling game based on luck. The bartenders were extremely enthusiastic, and the atmosphere reached a fever pitch. The owner took out a necklace with a silver pendant that looked like a tag, standing out against his rough fingers. The owner recounted its story: its original owner was a retired soldier who, during a battle, accidentally encountered the small, unpolished stone on a cliff and instantly felt a connection with it. He put it in his pocket, and during that battle, he was shot. The bullet hit the stone, saving his life and allowing him to discover its dazzling core. From then on, he had it crafted into this necklace, which accompanied him throughout his military service.
"It is a symbol of miraculous survival through war. Now, who will inherit this good fortune?" the boss shouted.
Du Pianjian stretched out his hand to Yu Zou, his fingers bending rapidly. The game wasn't free; a small "participation fee" was required, which customers could pay with money or items.
Yu Zou was surprised that Du Pianjian wanted to participate. His Adam's apple bobbed, but he didn't say anything. He took out a wad of cash from his wallet and put it in Du Pianjian's hand, without paying attention to how much it was.
Du Pianjian didn't notice and simply held the money above his head. The shopkeeper immediately saw the weight in his hand, invited him to the stage, and asked him what game he wanted to play. Without thinking, Du Pianjian said, "Darts, Killer Mode."
The boss was slightly surprised, and the audience cheered. He gestured for silence and said, "Young man with an unfamiliar face, I'll give you a chance to change."
Du replied with a note: "No need, the number will be determined by dice."
The boss shrugged and asked a waiter to bring over a dartboard. The dice quickly determined the zones: the boss got red, number 12, and Du Pianjian got green, number 8.
The audience held their breath as the two stood three meters apart. Du Pianjian, on the side closest to the audience, held the dart with three fingers as if it were a calligraphy brush, his calm profile radiating confidence.
Yu Zou felt the wine rising in his stomach, stuck in his throat. With a command, the game began. He also squinted one eye, his finger tracing the outline of Du Pianjian in the distance, his index finger slightly spread apart when it landed next to his free hand.
As Du Pianjian turned around, Yu Zou clenched his fist, and applause broke out around them. He joined in as well.
Once Du Pianjian sat back down opposite him, Yu Zou was the first to congratulate him on his victory, raising his glass in a toast. Only then did he realize his glass was empty, and he reached out to the waiter for another. Suddenly, he felt the glass move; Du Pianjian was holding the rim and moving it toward him, saying, "You can't drink anymore, look at me."
Yu Zou placed his hands on the table, staring intently at Du Pianjian. He extended the necklace forward, the smooth silver plaque twitching lightly in front of his fingertips, and said, "You said you had nothing of great significance, but now you do."
Yu Zou's pupils slowly dilated, his lips parted slightly, and his face was filled with disbelief: "You mean, give it to me?"
Du Pianjian nodded, and Yu Zou asked again, "What is its extraordinary significance to me?"
This time, Du Pianjian thought for a long time. He rested his right hand on his neck and lowered his eyes. Finally, he wrote about eleven characters on the silver plaque with his index fingernail. He explained, "The meaning is on it."
"What did you write?"
"You can ask me anytime, but I will only tell you whether it's right or wrong until you guess it right."
Everything around him began to blur and lose focus. The noise of the bar and the laughter of the crowd disappeared from Yu Zou's eyes and left Du Pianjian's eyes at the same time. Therefore, his every move was particularly eye-catching. Yu Zou's hand stopped abruptly just before it was about to land on the back of his hand. He clenched his fist in restraint, but his smile was unrestrained. His eyes seemed to say that he wanted to hold Du Pianjian's hand, and that he had held Du Pianjian's hand in his heart.
"Then I have something to guess." Yu Zou couldn't bear to look away, feeling peaceful and fulfilled, and thus became carried away with pride. "Could you help me put it on?"
Du Pianjian stood up, unfastened the clasp, and tied it around Yu Zou's neck. The silver medal dangled in front of his chest. He then took it in his hand and examined it carefully. Yu Zou slowly said, "Is it a single character?"
"no."
"Is it a number? Like the date of our first meeting?"
"No. Since you brought it up, tell me which day it is."
"...Let me guess something else."
The bar party ended before midnight, and the two walked side by side on their way back, the blue moss in the stone slabs glowing faintly in the night.
Yu Zou fell asleep very quickly after returning to his room. In his hazy state, he was awakened by an itch on his body, but his drowsiness was even stronger than the huge waves during the day, so much so that he could only open his eyes a crack. He saw Du Pianjian leaning over and looking at him, her eyes unreadable, her lips slightly parted as if she wanted to say something but stopped. The red light on her neck ring was on, her red bathrobe was loose, the moonlit night behind her was beautiful, a gentle breeze was blowing, and the bougainvillea in the flower basket beside her was in full bloom.
He was probably dreaming, but even in his dream he was so sleepy that he murmured a few notes and then fell asleep again.
Like a dream, the following week passed.
A white yacht sails alongside a pod of dolphins, shopping bags scattered on the deck. Yu Zou is awestruck by nature's bounty, while Du Pianjian thinks he should try some dolphin meat today. As they cruise through the Aspen Design Museum, bubbles rise from the bottom of champagne glasses. Yu Zou boldly speculates on the ideas behind the art, while Du Pianjian bluntly states that the artist didn't go into as much detail as he thought. Inside the car, the music beats and voices separate, and a large bouquet of flowers sits in the back seat. Yu Zou turns the car into the parking lot of the Golden Building, and Du Pianjian turns off the light screen displaying the auction items and rules.
The two took their seats.
The auction begins, buyers bid, and delivery requires special chips, which can only be obtained from the lower-level casino.
Yu Zou tilted his head slightly toward Du Pianjian beside him and said mysteriously, "Do you remember I said I would definitely fix your pipa? There is a pipa among the competitors that was made in the same year and by the same craftsman as yours and was used by your mother. If we can take parts of it and give them to your pipa to replace the broken parts, it might be able to be restored."
Du Pianjian opened the screen and searched through the items, his fingertip landing on the eighth item: an old rosewood pipa inlaid with bone, the wood grain flowing like flames, and the tuning pegs inlaid with elephant molar bone carvings that are no longer in existence.
Du Pianjian asked, "Do you really want it?"
Yu Zou stared at the auctioneer, bowed slightly, and said, "I will definitely get it."
Yu Zou, who had nothing, sat there bidding until the very last bid.
The auction ended, and the betting began.
Yu Zou held a chip in his hand, flipping over twos and then ten, as if a goddess of fortune was standing beside him, constantly revealing winning cards for him. Indeed, he was receiving unexpected blessings. Yu Zou smiled and tilted his head slightly, causing the seasoned dealer to avert his gaze and exchange the blue chip he was reluctant to put down for a black one.
In the next match, his card was once again the largest in the game.
Yu Zou took out a blue chip and exchanged it for a transparent chip for the dealer. The dealer accepted it with both hands in surprise and asked a question in a low voice, but Yu Zou smiled and declined.
In the instant he turned around, a figure flashed before his eyes. Beneath the magnificent golden wall, two Omegas dressed in elaborate attire were talking side by side. Their exquisite makeup could not conceal their exhaustion. Their left legs were about to collapse, but the other held them tightly and practically dragged them away.
Yu Zou immediately gave chase, but was stopped for a few seconds by a wall of people walking around, causing the person to slip away right under his nose.
Fang Bu, I never expected to see Fang Bu in this place.
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