My voice had barely faded when, without even waiting to see Mi Cai’s reaction, my heart began to race, then I felt suffocated. In that suffocation, I regretted—almost as if I had desecrated something, and then personally destroyed the fortress I had painstakingly built, allowing emotions that should have remained hidden to be exposed so starkly.
Mi Cai was still looking away, just as she had been before. The wind that kept blowing made the direct sunlight flicker, thus blurring her features.
“Tell me, what exactly do you think I like about you?” She finally asked me in return, after a long silence.
My soul instantly shrank under the scorching fire, in pain… I was merely a filthy man; I had fallen, while she remained pure. I had nothing, while she was so rich… So exactly what was it that she liked about me?
If we were two wicks needing oil to ignite, yet lacked the oil to nourish us, even if entwined together, we would only smother each other, unable to escape the torment of time…
I lit a cigarette, blew the smoke toward Mi Cai, and laughed, “Just kidding… Why take it so seriously, as if you’re conducting academic research, needing to dig to the very bottom!”
Mi Cai, clearly disgusted, waved the smoke away and turned to walk into the bar.
Watching her back, I crushed the cigarette I had barely smoked, then squatted on the ground, gazing upward at the sky. The wind was strong tonight, but the moonlight was nice. I imagined that the city must have been blown behind the moon again by that damned wind!
And now I couldn’t even find a direction to guide myself to ignite the fireworks that should have been so brilliant!
…
Inside the bar, customers and friends who had come to support were already seated. CC was quietly singing under the dim lights.
I scanned the crowd and finally spotted Mi Cai. She was sitting with Chen Jingming, Fang Yuan, and others. I wanted to go over, but there wasn’t a single empty seat left.
Jian Wei and Yan Yan were sitting in another corner, and there was still one seat free. I hesitated about whether to go over, but at this moment, the bar was truly packed, even the seats at the bar counter were occupied.
Eventually, I walked toward Yan Yan and Jian Wei, preparing to sit down, only to find Yan Yan’s handbag already placed on the seat.
Yan Yan smiled at me and said, “How about that? Your big sister is thoughtful enough to reserve this seat especially for you. By the way, there are really a lot of people here today!”
Only then did I realize why, despite the bar being packed, there was still a seat left here.
I placed Yan Yan’s handbag on the coffee table and sat beside her, asking, “Why aren’t you sitting with Fang Yuan?”
“They’re all chatting with their colleagues, so I didn’t want to crowd them. Oh, and really, thank you for recommending Fang Yuan to Zhuomei. This is the best opportunity he’s had in his career!”
“It’s Fang Yuan’s capability,” I replied, instinctively glancing toward Mi Cai. At this point, Fang Yuan and Chen Jingming had officially joined Zhuomei. I hoped even more that they could become Mi Cai’s support, helping her completely overcome her isolation.
Jian Wei, who had been silent all along, finally spoke, “Zhaoyang, I’ve received the 510,000 yuan you transferred.” She then took ten thousand yuan in cash from her bag and placed it in front of me, saying, “Take this back. I don’t need it.”
I shook my head and said, “This was Yueyao’s insistence. Please keep it. You should understand her intentions.”
Jian Wei smiled with a hint of emotion, saying, “Because I’m your ex-girlfriend, she doesn’t want to owe me anything!”
I didn’t deny it, because Yueyao indeed disliked Jian Wei. But whether it was truly because of her being an ex-girlfriend, it was hard to judge.
Yan Yan put the ten thousand yuan back into Jian Wei’s bag and said, “Since she doesn’t want to owe you anything, don’t insist. And more importantly, don’t turn down money.”
At this moment, I was grateful to Yan Yan. Although she always viewed things from a worldly perspective, many conflicts that needed resolution were often best addressed decisively through such worldly means.
…
After CC finished singing, customers began clamoring for Mi Cai and Jian Wei to perform a duet. Most of these customers had attended the impromptu concert yesterday. Their request for a duet was because both Mi Cai and Jian Wei had left an extremely deep impression on them.
I looked nervously at Jian Wei, then at Mi Cai not far away. While I was filled with anticipation for their duet, I also felt it might be impossible. In my subconscious, these two women, both so exceptional, were incompatible.
CC approached Jian Wei first and said, “Weiwei, the customers are so enthusiastic, and it’s the first day of the bar’s opening. Let’s not disappoint them, okay?”
Jian Wei glanced toward Mi Cai, then nodded, saying, “If she has no problem, I don’t either!”
CC nodded with a smile and said, “I’ll go ask her. She shouldn’t refuse, especially since everyone is so happy today.”
After saying that, CC walked toward Mi Cai again, whispered a few words in her ear, and Mi Cai nodded, then stood up.
After CC gave Jian Wei a thumbs-up signal, Jian Wei also stood up, and instantly, enthusiastic applause filled the bar!
A subtle change suddenly occurred within me. Though it seemed incredible, I still looked forward to their collaboration…
Jian Wei and Mi Cai walked one after the other toward the small stage. CC prepared a microphone for each of them and asked what song they would like to perform together.
Jian Wei and Mi Cai looked at each other but said nothing. Who knows what they were thinking at that moment.
Finally, CC, the queen of saving the day, spoke again—but addressed me this time: “Zhaoyang, what song do you think would be suitable for a duet?”
First, the familiar eyes around gathered on me, then the unfamiliar customers followed their gaze, making me the most noticeable person in the entire venue for the first time.
I thought for a moment and said, “How about ‘Meeting in 1998’ by Na Ying and Faye Wong?”
CC clapped and said, “Meeting in 1998, Meeting in the Bar. This song is great, really great!” She then asked Jian Wei and Mi Cai, “What do you think?”
Both Jian Wei and Mi Cai nodded simultaneously, yet still hadn’t exchanged a single word!
CC wiped her forehead and said, “Weiwei, you take Na Ying’s part, and Mi, you take Faye Wong’s part. Is that okay?”
They both simply nodded again, so CC wiped her forehead once more, as if complaining: This queen of saving the day really has it tough!
The music’s prelude began, and I watched intently… At this moment, their figures under the lights were beautiful beyond words. It was undeniably a visual feast.
“Open your heart, cast away spring’s shyness, dance steps flying, shatter winter’s silence, warm tenderness brings heartfelt greetings, gentle drizzle bathes the yesterdays, yesterday’s exciting moments, you welcomed me with warm eyes, welcomed the joy I brought from yesterday, come on, come on, meet in the bar, come on, come on, meet in the bar…”
Jian Wei’s and Mi Cai’s voices alternated in my ears, and I couldn’t help but be enchanted. This was truly a seamless collaboration, even making me hallucinate—imagining Jian Wei and Mi Cai as longtime friends, equally beautiful, equally rich, equally heavenly beauties…
As the singing gradually ended, the applause and cheers continued unabated, instantly overwhelming me. The flashing lights made me dazed until Yan Yan beside me pushed me, bringing me back to my senses.
Yan Yan handed her phone to me and said, “Look at the photos I just took of them!” She paused slightly, then sighed, “A perfect match. How could there be two such perfect women in the world? They make even women jealous!”
Suddenly, a thought quickly flashed through my mind, and I immediately said to Yan Yan, “Send this photo to me. I have a use for it!”
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