Leyao’s words stirred a strong desire for debate within me. I asked her, “If given a choice right now, faced with the same man, would you prefer him to be rich or poor?”
“If he could be rich, that would naturally be better, but if…”
I interrupted before Leyao could finish, saying, “So Mi Cai must think the same way too. Although we might dislike admitting it, we must acknowledge that a love relationship with material security can indeed avoid many troubles. It’s not difficult for her to tolerate me temporarily, but tolerating me for a lifetime is the real challenge. Let’s put it bluntly, people face unexpected misfortunes. Suppose one day she became poor, wouldn’t I need sufficient material resources to maintain the lifestyle she was accustomed to?”
Leyao was silent for a moment before finally nodding and saying, “You’re right to think this way. Once love becomes rational, it inevitably involves the trivialities of daily life like firewood, rice, oil, and salt. Ultimately, women still yearn for their men to become the final safeguard against the harshness of life—I’m no exception, and Mi Cai cannot be an exception either!”
“Right… so, I really should do something now.”
“Then have you decided what you want to do?”
“It’s not very practical to talk about starting a business at this stage. I should first find a job with potential for growth. At the very least, having a stable income will allow me to buy her a handbag or an evening gown without struggling financially.”
Leyao smiled and said, “You really do love her deeply. All your plans for the future are based around her.”
“This is the attitude a man should have towards love.”
“But the most impermanent thing in this world is love itself. Have you ever considered what you would do if one day she no longer loved you?”
I was momentarily stunned. I realized that although I had planned love far into the future, I had never imagined a scenario where we no longer loved each other. Yet this possibility indeed existed. As Leyao said, love has no expiration date, which is why there are so many breakups and reconciliations.
Feeling somewhat troubled, I took out a cigarette from the pack, lit it, took a deep puff, and then said to Leyao, “If I can’t make it work with her either, I really won’t want to believe in love anymore. But… I definitely won’t live in despair like before. I think I can continue striving in life with a broad-minded attitude, having seen through the nature of love.”
“You promise?”
I nodded.
Unexpectedly, Leyao took out her phone from her handbag, pressed the record button, and said to me, “Repeat what you just said.”
“Damn you… are you cursing us?”
Leyao replied coldly, “Curse you? Are you daring enough to do that?”
“My point is that you’re cursing us, not that I’m cursing you!”
Leyao’s expression turned serious again, “If you two can grow old together, I will certainly be happy for you. But if not, I really don’t want you to go back to your old ways. That would be too painful for you… So, as a friend, I want you to give me a promise—a promise that you won’t live a life filled with pain anymore!”
I looked at Leyao for a long time before finally saying, “If one day Mi Cai and I… break up, I will definitely continue striving in life with a broad-minded attitude, having seen through the nature of love…”
Leyao nodded and saved the audio file, while I silently prayed, “I hope I never get the chance to hear this audio!”
…
After parting ways with Leyao at the cafe, I immediately went to find AJ and returned the 20,000 yuan I had borrowed from her. At this point, I finally had no more debts. This made me feel that a new life was getting closer, though I couldn’t be sure exactly what this new life would be like. Perhaps happiness would outweigh worries, or maybe worries would outweigh happiness.
In the evening, I sent a message to Mi Cai asking if she would come back for dinner. She replied that she had to attend a banquet, so I had a simple meal and then took a walk along the street, feeling satisfied after eating.
During this walk, I kept thinking about what kind of job I should look for. Before I knew it, I had wandered to the riverside, and the sky had already become completely dark.
I sat down to rest by the familiar riverbank, not recalling the moments I had shared with Jian Wei here as I usually did. Instead, I remembered the time I had gotten drunk, thrown my phone into the river, and then Mi Cai came looking for me.
Thinking about it, this familiar riverside had indeed gathered the colorful moments of my life, because I had played guitar here, smoked here, and also laughed, cried, and felt helpless here.
Instinctively lighting a cigarette, I enjoyed the tranquility of being alone, carried by the gentle breeze. Yes, I was alone. I knew Jian Wei wouldn’t come today because Xiang Chen was back, so I didn’t have to worry about an awkward encounter.
After standing for a while, I sat down on the grass. When I got tired of sitting, I lay down. So relaxed and free, I couldn’t help singing loudly, and the night deepened with my song.
Suddenly, the WeChat notification tone rang. I turned over and took my phone out of my pocket, feeling delighted because it was from Mi Cai.
“I’m back. Why aren’t you home?”
“I went out for a walk after dinner, ended up at the moat… I’ll come back now.”
“You walked that far!… Don’t come back yet. I’ll pick you up. I also want to sit there for a while.”
…
A short while later, Mi Cai arrived at the riverside. She was carrying the guitar I had given her. Coming to my side, she handed the guitar to me and said, “You’re so relaxed, sing me a few songs, okay?”
“What about you?”
“I’ll eat while listening to you sing.”
“You just attended a banquet, why do you need to eat again?”
“I had no appetite earlier, but now I do.”
I smiled, pulled her into my arms, and asked, “Is it because you haven’t seen me that you have an appetite now?”
“Are you a hamburger or fries or something?”
“Exactly, just see if you dare to eat me!”
Mi Cai shook her head to indicate she didn’t dare, then took out a box from her bag and said to me, “Look, I brought it myself.”
“Tiramisu?”
Mi Cai nodded, opened the box, smiled, and used a fork to pick up a piece and feed it to me, saying, “Open your mouth.”
I opened my mouth and took the cake. Then she started eating herself and urged me again, saying, “Sing quickly… sing ‘Cinderella.'”
“Why would I sing that? You’re not Cinderella!”
“But I want to be your Cinderella… hurry up and sing!” Mi Cai shook my arm and urged me again.
Unable to resist Mi Cai, I smiled, strummed the guitar strings, and sang “Cinderella.”
“How did I fall for you? I ask myself. I can give up anything, but today it’s hard to leave you. You’re not beautiful, but you’re so lovely, oh my Cinderella… If this is a dream, I’d rather stay asleep than wake up. I’ve been patient, I’ve waited so much, maybe just waiting for your arrival, maybe just waiting for your arrival, maybe just waiting for your arrival…”
As I sang, Mi Cai leisurely ate her tiramisu, which made me a bit dazed. I felt like I had experienced a similar scene before.
At that moment, a gust of wind brought the scent of night. I finally remembered that a few years ago, I often sang by the riverside for Jian Wei. Back then, I sang “Runaway,” and today it was “Cinderella.” Mi Cai ate tiramisu while Jian Wei loved mousse cake. That was the only difference!
I ended the song with a long note. Mi Cai, like a girl deep in love, affectionately fed me her tiramisu again and then snuggled up to me. Her hair brushed against my face, and I caught the faint fragrance drifting from it.
I wanted to freeze this moment in time, yet I thought of the birthday banquet we would attend in a few days. How wonderful it would be if we could attend that event in such a peaceful and simple state, forgetting the complexities of human nature!
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