The message from Mi Cai at least appeared to be very simple on the surface. She wrote: “How long do you expect me to stay in the U.S.?”
Yet I felt puzzled: was she actually asking for my opinion?
After a long while, I replied: “I think you must have your own plan on how long you’ll stay.”
This time, Mi Cai replied shortly: “You’re right.”
“If you already know, why bother asking me?”
Mi Cai didn’t continue the topic and simply replied: “I’m boarding the plane soon. I’ll turn off my phone now. Bye!”
I placed my phone back on the coffee table and leaned back on the sofa. As soon as I closed my eyes, I seemed to see Mi Cai and Weiran sitting in the first class cabin of the plane, chatting and laughing.
Feeling a bit depressed, I finally decided not to think about it anymore. I rubbed my face hard to calm myself down before heading to the bathroom to freshen up.
…
When I arrived at Fang Yuan and Yan Yan’s place, Chen Jingming and Zhao Li had already arrived, and Yan Yan had already bought the drinks and prepared a sumptuous meal.
I greeted Chen Jingming first: “Manager Chen, you’re definitely living up to driving an Audi; you sure arrived faster than me driving an Alto!”
Chen Jingming smiled and said, “When will you finally stop being such a smart aleck?”
I grinned nonchalantly and said, “You’re just getting older and don’t like hearing young people like us being sarcastic. Don’t you remember back in college, you could entertain Fang Yuan and his wife with historical anecdotes for an entire afternoon? How much they enjoyed it! Right, Fang Yuan?”
Before Fang Yuan could respond, Yan Yan slapped me on the arm and said, “Historical anecdotes, my foot! You pretend to be so well-versed in ancient and modern history, but all you do is spout obscure tales you heard somewhere to fool us.”
Everyone laughed. Fang Yuan then invited us to eat, and we all sat around the table.
I poured a glass of wine for Chen Jingming and took the opportunity to ask, “Boss Chen, how’s work at Zhuomei going for you lately?”
Chen Jingming replied seriously, “I’m still in the familiarization phase, but I’ve already started participating in the management of the shopping mall. Ms. Mi is a very open-minded CEO who delegates authority generously!”
Fang Yuan chimed in, “Yes, Ms. Mi is very willing to give her subordinates space to work freely. Working under her is quite relaxed… though Zhuomei is a deep pond, much deeper than Baoli Department Store!”
Since there were no outsiders present, I asked directly, “Has Mi Zhongde recently been scheming to undermine Ms. Mi’s authority?”
Chen Jingming nodded and said, “We already heard rumors about Mi Zhongde’s attempts to overthrow Ms. Mi at Zhuomei while we were at Baoli. However, after spending these days with Ms. Mi, I think it won’t be easy for him to defeat her so easily. Not only does the board include a group of loyal old guards of Ms. Mi’s late father, but Ms. Mi herself is also a strong contender against Mi Zhongde.”
Chen Jingming’s words eased my concerns a little. Fang Yuan then said, “I heard that Mi Zhongde actually treats Ms. Mi quite well in their personal lives. During the years when Ms. Mi was overseas and hadn’t returned to China, he would fly to the U.S. every year to celebrate her birthday with her no matter how busy he was. However… he refuses to compromise on the ownership of Zhuomei, and neither does Ms. Mi, so their relationship has become quite strained.”
Fang Yuan’s words helped me understand why Mi Cai had been so offended the last time I disrespected Mi Zhongde in front of her, because Mi Zhongde and she actually share a genuine uncle-niece relationship. However… that relationship couldn’t overcome the desire for power. But logically, Zhuomei should rightfully belong to Mi Cai.
Zhao Li, who had been silent all along, then spoke up: “Actually, I think it might be a good choice for Ms. Mi to step back from the struggle for Zhuomei. Given how much Mi Zhongde cares for her, he would definitely ensure her a life of comfort and security. After all, being a lady of leisure is far better than being a career woman!”
“You’re talking nonsense. That’s just the mindset of someone who wants to live comfortably without ambition… How could Mi Cai possibly give up Zhuomei? That was her father’s business!” I immediately scolded Zhao Li because he didn’t understand the depth of Mi Cai’s feelings for her father.
Zhao Li smiled awkwardly and said, “Don’t get so worked up. it’s just my personal opinion. I’m just someone who likes a peaceful life, so I’m destined never to reach Ms. Mi’s level.”
…
After dinner, Chen Jingming and Zhao Li left one after another, while Yan Yan washed the dishes in the kitchen. Only Fang Yuan and I remained in the living room.
We each lit a cigarette and began chatting. Fang Yuan brought up the topic again, saying, “Zhaoyang, have you thought about my previous suggestion for you to work at Zhuomei?”
“Not yet,” I replied truthfully.
Fang Yuan earnestly reminded me, “After Zhuomei’s headquarters moved to Shanghai, there were significant internal personnel adjustments, which is why both Chen Jingming and I were able to get promoted one level compared to our positions at Baoli. If you can seize this opportunity, it would truly be a promising job. Plus, Ms. Mi has more than once expressed to me her hope that you would come to work at Zhuomei.”
I didn’t speak, but I thought about my current awkward relationship with Mi Cai. I had already made up my mind that if there was no possibility of Mi Cai and me being together, I would return to Xuzhou and start over after the bar was up and running. If, by some chance, Mi Cai had feelings for me and we became a couple, I definitely wouldn’t go to Zhuomei to work. After all, a man should have his own ambitions and aspirations rather than relying on his girlfriend for a livelihood. So no matter which outcome happened, I wouldn’t join Zhuomei.
Fang Yuan, sensing my silence, pressed further, “Can you at least give me a definite answer on this? After all, once you join Zhuomei, we brothers can rely on each other.”
Finally, I shook my head at Fang Yuan and said, “Don’t bring this up with me again. Working at Zhuomei is really not realistic for me. Once the bar is up and running, I might just return to Xuzhou. That’s where my roots are!”
“What? Are you still hung up on Li Xiaoyun? If there’s still a chance for the two of you to get back together, I won’t try to persuade you anymore, because Li Xiaoyun is indeed a reliable girl!”
I became momentarily lost in thought, recalling those few months I spent with Li Xiaoyun, a period of peacefulness I had never experienced in my emotional life. Although it lacked some passion, that was exactly what real life was like, wasn’t it?
Perhaps for me, Li Xiaoyun was the woman who truly represented reality and life, but we had ultimately missed each other.
…
After leaving Fang Yuan and Yan Yan’s place, I sat alone on the square where I had once played around with Mi Cai. Watching the children playing there during their winter break, I eventually felt a sense of loneliness, so I instinctively lit a cigarette to dispel it.
I exhaled a long stream of smoke and looked up at the sky. At this moment, Mi Cai should already be flying across the ocean to the other side of the world!
I missed her a bit, so I just kept staring at the blue sky and white clouds for a long time, until my phone rang.
I took out my phone from my pocket and was surprised to see it was a call from my mom. I had tried calling her many times since coming to Suzhou, but she had never answered, still upset with me.
“Mom… Mom,” I called out twice in excitement.
My mom was silent for a long time on the other end before asking with a slight tremble in her voice, “Are you doing okay in Suzhou?”
Filled with guilt, I thought that no matter how angry my mom was with me, she was still the person in the world who cared about me the most. I tried to sound cheerful as I replied, “I’m doing great. You don’t need to worry about me. Just take care of yourself!”
“You don’t need to worry about me, you brat!”
I could naturally hear the resentment in my mom’s voice, but I could also sense that she was gradually forgiving me for my past actions. I then said, “I’m your son. If I don’t care about you, who will?”
My mom finally laughed and asked, “Are you coming back to Xuzhou for the Spring Festival this year?”
“I plan to return unless something unexpected happens. I really miss you!”
“If you miss me, come back.” After a short pause, my mom continued, “I heard from Auntie Zhang that since you and Xiaoyun broke up, she hasn’t been dating anyone else. I was thinking maybe she still has feelings for you… Why don’t you come back this time, and I’ll ask Auntie Zhang to talk to her again. Girls are soft-hearted. If you apologize to her, maybe Xiaoyun will forgive you… You know, if you and Xiaoyun got married and stayed in Xuzhou, your father and I would feel so much more at ease!”
My mom’s words left me momentarily stunned. Did she still have hopes for me and Li Xiaoyun getting back together? Was it true that Li Xiaoyun hadn’t been dating anyone else because she still had feelings for me… or was my mom just indulging in her own wishful thinking?
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