Chapter 19: The City in the Sky

Jian Wei looked into Xiang Chen’s eyes with an expression no one could understand. Xiang Chen took out a delicately wrapped gift box from his pocket, seemingly prepared in advance, and opened it. Inside was a necklace adorned with crystals and diamonds.

The lighting technician turned off all the lights in the hall, leaving only a spotlight on Xiang Chen and Jian Wei, making them appear so radiant. In the darkness, I could no longer sense my own existence.

“This crystal and diamond necklace was designed by China’s best jewelry designer at my request. It’s one of a kind in the entire world. I’ve named it ‘True Love,’ representing my most sincere and pure love for you, just like diamonds and crystals. Please, give me the chance to put it on for you myself… okay?”

I wanted to tell Xiang Chen that he was wrong. With enough money, anyone could buy a woman a crystal and diamond necklace. True sincerity and purity in love come from the heart and don’t require any material possessions.

But how many women would believe such a simple truth? The sparkle of diamonds had already blinded their eyes.

I ultimately didn’t argue with Xiang Chen, only retreating further into the fortress of my heart.

Everyone at the scene was moved by Xiang Chen’s gesture, and they encouraged Jian Wei to accept his proposal with applause.

Jian Wei glanced toward a dark corner, and finally nodded silently. The applause and cheers grew even louder. With great excitement, Xiang Chen placed the necklace around her neck. At that moment, a couple became engaged at Fang Yuan and Yan Yan’s wedding, adding joy to an already joyous occasion!

At this moment, no one but me remembered that rainy afternoon when we had promised to take a series of wedding photos themed “Silent Joy.”

…

The reception was drawing to a close amidst the crowd’s excitement, with wedding guests saying their goodbyes. I staggered out of the hotel alone.

The sunlight outside the hotel was beautiful but so bright it hurt my eyes. I leaned against a nearby column, squinting at the blue sky and white clouds. In my drunken daze, I seemed to see the fortress in my heart float up into the sky with the drifting air, blending with the blue sky and white clouds, gradually becoming crystal clear, without a trace of loneliness or pain.

In her wedding dress, Yan Yan and Fang Yuan supported me from either side as I swayed unsteadily.

Yan Yan apologized to me saying, “Zhaoyang, we really didn’t know beforehand that Xiang Chen would propose to Jian Wei at our wedding… You must be feeling terrible inside, I’m sorry!”

“Haha… I’m not sad, how could I be sad?… Hey, have you guys… have you seen the fortress in my heart flying into the air, hiding in the sunlight, crystal clear…” I mumbled, again pulling the clear plastic off my cigarette box, placing it over my eyes, searching for that city in the sky.

Yan Yan and Fang Yuan exchanged glances, and Fang Yuan took the plastic from my hand saying, “Stop talking nonsense… I’ll call a driver to take you home.”

“No need to go to so much trouble… I can go back by myself, I’ll take a taxi.” Saying this, I broke free from Yan Yan and Fang Yuan’s supporting hands and staggered toward the street.

Stumbling, I saw Jian Wei helping a drunken Xiang Chen approach from the other side. She walked while taking the car keys from Xiang Chen’s pocket, then opened the door of the black Range Rover. Fang Yuan and Yan Yan hurried over to help Jian Wei lift Xiang Chen into the car.

Actually, seeing this scene didn’t make me feel sad at all. At least I could still stand with difficulty, while Xiang Chen was already too drunk to be conscious. This time, it was him who collapsed; he was the grandson, and I was the grandfather, a lonely and hurting one!

I stood still, watching Jian Wei start the car and drive away with Xiang Chen toward the city’s bustling lights.

…

This afternoon I sat on the green belt by the moat, smoking cigarette after cigarette until I had none left. I closed my eyes and lay down, feeling the autumn afternoon breeze blowing past me.

Even though I had drunk too much, the extreme pain in my heart kept me from falling asleep. Instead, my suffering was magnified many times over in the strange clarity brought by drunkenness.

In the past, she had written “waiting” heavily on the car window. Today, she silently accepted Xiang Chen’s proposal. These two scenes alternated in my mind, flashing faster and faster, as if trying to tear me apart. In my pain, I tightly hugged my head and curled up, sobbing.

The pain in my heart became unbearable. I truly wanted to end my life and follow that fortress, which had already detached from my heart and transformed into a city in the sky.

With my remaining strength, I took out my phone from my pocket, found the most recent call in my call log, and immediately dialed it.

After a long pause, the phone was finally answered. Mi Cai’s determined voice came through, “No matter what excuse you use this time, I won’t tolerate you anymore. You have to move out today. I don’t want a liar living in my house.”

I smiled and calmly said to Mi Cai, “If you’re free now, come quickly to the moat.”

My seemingly random request made Mi Cai even angrier. She asked heavily, “Why should I go?”

“Hurry and stop me. I want to jump into the river, I really will!”

Without waiting for Mi Cai to respond, I threw my phone into the moat. I wasn’t lying to Mi Cai. Under the influence of alcohol and pain, I had become numb and really wanted to chase after that crystal-clear city in the sky.

A warm breeze blew by, pleasant and soothing. Before I could take a step forward, the accumulated effects of the alcohol suddenly surged. I looked up at the dizzying blue sky, my body suddenly weakened, and I collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

…

When I woke up, the sky was already very dark. The streetlights on both sides of the moat had been lit, their reflections shimmering on the water’s surface. The sounds of car horns occasionally came from the road by the riverside. Under the dual stimulation of vision and hearing, the blurred world suddenly became real.

My head ached as if it were splitting, and I gazed blankly at the stars competing for brilliance in the sky…

A pleasant woman’s fragrance drifted into my nose along with the autumn night breeze. I turned my head and saw that it was Mi Cai sitting beside me, and her coat was covering my body.

I sat up from the ground, and Mi Cai only then noticed that I had woken up.

“You’re awake.”

“How come you came?”

We almost said to each other at the same time.

Another gust of night wind came, and the already yellowing maple leaves fell down, landing in the river not far away, drifting with the waves under the accompaniment of twinkling starlight.

We both looked at the river surface. After a while, Mi Cai finally answered my question, “I came to see if you were dead or not.”

“What do you mean, dead or not?” I asked in confusion, already forgetting the call I had made to Mi Cai before falling asleep.

“So you are lying to me again, right?”

“I really don’t know what you’re talking about!” I exclaimed.

Mi Cai patiently said to me, “You called me at noon saying you wanted to jump into the river. If you have any doubts, you can check your phone’s call history.”

“Then let me check.” I said, starting to pat my pockets.

“Hey! Where’s my phone?”

Looking at the river surface again, I finally remembered that I had impulsively thrown my phone into the moat, and with that memory returning, I recalled indeed calling Mi Cai at noon like a madman, saying I wanted to jump into the moat…

I apologetically said to Mi Cai, “Sorry, I was too drunk at noon, just talking nonsense. I really didn’t mean to deceive you.”

“You’re scum, a despicable liar!” Mi Cai scolded without holding back.

“Can’t you just stop cursing me like that?” I paused and continued, “It’s just jumping into the river, right? I can do it now to make it up to you. It’s not too late, right?”

“You go ahead and jump.” Mi Cai said to me, looking at the river.

“If you say so, I will jump.” I said and walked toward the river, stepping onto the guardrail by the riverside.