Mica and I chatted and laughed all the way upstairs, completely forgetting the unpleasantness of the past few days. As I was about to open the door, Mica suddenly stopped me, signaling me to wait.
Puzzled, I asked, “What’s wrong?”
“I suddenly feel a bit nervous!”
I smiled knowingly and said, “Oh right, how could I forget the last time you were clinging onto me and got caught red-handed by my dad? That incident left quite a bad impression, especially since you’re a girl… Sigh! I really hope my dad has already forgotten that embarrassing scene!”
Mica looked at me with both grievance and anger: “Zhaoyang, how can you be like this… You saying this makes me even more nervous!”
“You really look pitiful right now!”
“Then can’t you show a little sympathy for me?”
Finally, I stopped joking. In fact, I felt touched deep inside—Mica was nervous because she cared. She wanted to make a good impression in front of my family.
I gently patted her shoulder and softly said, “I was just kidding you earlier. Don’t worry, this will be a very pleasant lunch. After we finish eating, I’ll take you to play video games.”
“Okay… Then open the door.”
Only then did I insert the key into the lock and open the door. At that moment, my dad was preparing food in the kitchen while my mom was mopping the floor.
Mica greeted my mom politely, “Auntie, Happy New Year.”
My mom put down the mop and smiled, “Happy New Year too… Quickly, have a seat and rest for a while. Zhaoyang, go make a cup of tea for Xiao Mi.”
My mom’s relatively warm reception eased my mind a bit. After putting down the holiday gifts Mica had brought, I hurried to prepare the tea.
Mica sat down on the sofa. I brought her the tea and sat beside her, whispering, “My mom is so warm, you shouldn’t be nervous anymore, right?”
“Your mom hasn’t seen me clinging onto you. I’m nervous about meeting your dad!”
I smiled. Seeing that she could now joke with me proved she had relaxed a bit. At that moment, my dad also came out of the kitchen carrying freshly cooked soup.
Mica stood up politely again and greeted my dad, “Uncle, Happy New Year. I wish you a successful new year at work and good health!”
My dad smiled happily, “Thank you. I wish you success at work too!”
…
A moment later, the three of us plus Mica sat around the table having lunch. My dad remained habitually silent, while my mom seemed to have many questions bottled up inside. As she served Mica dishes, she asked, “Xiao Mi, how old are you this year?”
Mica smiled and replied, “Auntie, I’m 27 this year, same age as your son, Zhaoyang!”
“Oh, not young anymore!… Do you have a boyfriend?”
Mica shook her head.
My mom continued, “Then what do you do for work?”
Mica glanced at me but patiently answered, “I work at a department store.”
I feared my mom would ask about Mica’s family background, so I quickly changed the subject, saying, “Mom, we’re here to eat, can’t you stop making this feel like an interview! Otherwise, after lunch, I’ll have Comrade Xiao Mi give you a resume for you to read and get to know at your leisure!”
After I finished speaking, Mica smiled slightly while my mom complained, “Look at your dad, like a piece of wood, not saying a word. If I don’t say anything either, won’t this become awkward?”
“Then why don’t you talk to Xiao Mi about the local customs and culture of Xuzhou? That would show off how knowledgeable you are!”
Finally breaking his silence, my dad joined the conversation, “I agree with Zhaoyang on this point, although talking about local customs and culture is indeed difficult for your mom. She’d be much better at explaining how to win at Mahjong.”
My dad’s rare humor made both Mica and me laugh, and the atmosphere became much more relaxed. After that, my dad took over the task of introducing local culture and did it patiently. Mica listened attentively, and soon we finished lunch in a harmonious atmosphere.
To avoid my mom’s post-lunch interrogation, Mica and I left early to go to the arcade to play video games. We played the whole afternoon, and when we came out of the arcade, it was already dusk.
After that, I accompanied Mica to the hair salon at the mall to wash her hair. The hairdresser was stunned by her breathtaking beauty upon first sight, constantly praising that in all his years of professional experience, he had never encountered a woman with hair as beautiful as Mica’s. I had long become used to such compliments, as it seemed that every time she appeared in public with me, I would hear similar exclamations.
Bored, I once again looked at Mica in the mirror and realized how truly beautiful she was. Even after staring for a long time, I never got tired of looking at her. Yet, there was something almost unreal about her, a feeling that was both enjoyable and saddening, because subconsciously, I always felt I couldn’t get close to her, let alone dare to imagine a close romantic relationship between us. And a few days earlier, my mom had reminded me to stop dreaming of eating swan meat—that was the best proof… Even if one day we really were together, probably not many people would believe in us. Thinking about it really made me feel disappointed!
…
Lost in thought, I suddenly noticed Li Xiaoyun walking into the hair salon with a handbag. She showed her VIP card to the receptionist, seemingly also here to wash her hair. She hadn’t noticed me sitting in the corner at first, and at that moment, I regretted bringing Mica to this hair salon, which Xiaoyun frequented, because running into each other was really awkward.
Li Xiaoyun soon came to the seat next to Mica’s. She glanced at Mica instinctively but didn’t recognize her, then noticed me sitting behind and looked surprised.
I stood up and came to the two of them, forcing a smile as I introduced them. First to Xiaoyun, I said, “This is my friend Mica.”
Then, looking at Mica, I said, “This is Li Xiaoyun. We are also friends.”
After my introduction, the two women nodded at each other, but I could see surprise in their eyes, especially Mica’s. She had always known about Li Xiaoyun’s existence and knew that Xiaoyun was the woman who had almost become my wife.
During the hair washing, Li Xiaoyun and Mica didn’t exchange a single word. Mica finished washing her hair before Xiaoyun and was ready to leave first. We came to say goodbye to Xiaoyun.
I said to Xiaoyun, “Xiaoyun, we’re leaving first. Let’s keep in touch when we have time.”
Xiaoyun looked at me, then at Mica, her expression complicated. Then she smiled and said, “Zhaoyang, at this moment I finally understand why you were so determined to return to Suzhou back then…”
I knew Xiaoyun must have mistakenly thought that I had returned to Suzhou for Mica, but I couldn’t explain it to her in this awkward situation, nor was it easy to explain. So I simply chose to remain silent and let the misunderstanding stand. Mica, who knew the truth, didn’t try to clarify anything either. She just looked at the traffic outside the salon, seemingly unwilling to stay there any longer.
Finally, I responded to Xiaoyun with a bitter smile of someone misunderstood, then said goodbye again and left the salon with Mica, feeling an indescribable emotion inside. If I had truly returned to Suzhou for Mica back then, the situation would really have been much simpler and clearer!
…
Walking on the street as night began to fall, neither Mica nor I spoke. Until we were almost at the end of the street, Mica suddenly stopped, looked at me for a long time, and asked, “Zhaoyang, why do people always mistake us for a couple?”
This sudden question stunned me. After a long silence, I finally said, “Because fate always pulls us together. You can’t escape me, and I can’t escape you either!”
Mica looked at me for a long, long time before finally whispering, “Then do you want me to be your girlfriend?”
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