This noon, I drove back to Suzhou with Mi Cai each in our own car. She headed straight to Zhuo Mei, while I went to the supermarket to buy some vegetables before returning to the old house.
Tonight, I wanted to prepare a farewell dinner for her.
After washing all the vegetables, I cleaned the house and watered the nearly withered plants on the balcony. Finally, I went into Mi Cai’s room.
Sitting on her bed, I looked around and eventually discovered two neatly placed nitro-powered racing cars and two guitars in the corner beside the wardrobe.
These were all gifts we had once given each other, carrying our happiness and some sadness too, yet they remained exactly as they were at the beginning. Mi Cai and I, however, had already gone through a cycle of changes.
…
Around five o’clock in the afternoon, Mi Cai finally returned to the old house after finishing her work. Coincidentally, I was sitting in her room, lighting a cigarette.
Before she entered the room, I quickly stubbed out the cigarette, opened the window, and hugged a pillow, frantically fanning the air.
Mi Cai called my name from outside the door. I didn’t respond, trying to delay time to eliminate any evidence of smoking.
I heard her footsteps drawing closer until the door suddenly opened. Startled upon seeing me, she said, “Why are you in my room?”
“Looking for something.”
Mi Cai looked at me suspiciously, “Then why didn’t you answer when I called you?”
“No, I didn’t hear anything…”
“How is that possible?”
“I got tired from looking for stuff and took a nap on your bed, so I naturally didn’t hear you calling me.”
Mi Cai took a few steps closer to me, frowning, “You were smoking in my room, weren’t you?”
Denying it further was pointless, so I stubbornly said, “Yes, I did. Do whatever you want with me.”
Unexpectedly, Mi Cai didn’t scold me. Instead, she smiled and said, “You did it on purpose, didn’t you? You wanted to feel the old arguments we used to have.”
I assumed she was just giving me an excuse to save face and nodded quickly.
She immediately turned serious and said, “Get out of my room…”
“You’re serious?”
Mi Cai didn’t say much and pushed me out of her room with force.
“So violent!” I exclaimed while stepping backward.
“Who told you to smoke in my room!”
“I’m sorry.”
“Sorry for what?”
“I really shouldn’t have smoked in your room!”
“Then how should I punish you, this habitual offender?”
Without hesitation, I replied, “Kiss me.”
Mi Cai looked at me with a smirk…
“If you’re not willing, then I’ll punish myself.”
With that, I pulled Mi Cai into an embrace and kissed her lips. She didn’t dodge, so we kissed once again. She was still as awkward as ever, but it didn’t stop me from getting lost in the warmth that enveloped me.
As I was getting carried away, a sharp pain suddenly shot through my lips. I didn’t struggle but endured the pain, staring at Mi Cai who was just inches away.
Finally, she opened her mouth and let go of me. Instinctively, I touched my lips and asked, “Why did you bite me?”
“Tomorrow I’m leaving.”
“Do these two things have anything to do with each other?”
Mi Cai nodded and said, “Yes. When your mouth can’t help but flirt with other women, remember how much it hurt today.”
“It didn’t hurt at all. Why don’t you bite me again?”
Mi Cai narrowed her eyes and leaned toward me. I covered my mouth and took a step back, quickly saying, “Ouch, ouch, ouch! Don’t bite me anymore!”
Mi Cai stopped, and I then asked her, “What if you flirt with other men overseas? Shouldn’t I bite you back then too?”
“I won’t flirt.”
“I should still bite you back.”
Mi Cai looked at me in exasperation, then swiftly dodged my retaliation. Thus, we spent our last night before parting ways in this playful manner.
But the heart-wrenching reluctance hadn’t lessened at all and continued right into the next day.
…
Inside the airport terminal, the moment of final separation with Mi Cai had arrived. She took a bunch of keys from her handbag and handed them to me: “These are the keys to the old house. In the future, when you have time, remember to water the flowers on the balcony.”
“I’ll move to Xitang and take care of them.”
Mi Cai shook her head, “There must be some flowers and plants in that house.”
“Why?”
Mi Cai smiled and said, “With these flowers and plants keeping it company, the house won’t feel lonely anymore!”
I nodded and finally asked her the question that had puzzled me for a long time: “Can you tell me why you bought that old house back then?”
Mi Cai thought for a moment before replying, “I’ll tell you on the day you marry me.”
“I’m really curious. Why must you wait until that day?”
“Because telling you on that day will make it especially meaningful.”
I was daydreaming about that day finally coming when the boarding announcement finally rang through my thoughts.
Mi Cai took the suitcase from my hands. This time, we were really saying goodbye.
“Zhaoyang, I’m leaving.”
“Yeah.”
We seemed to deliberately downplay the sadness of parting, so Mi Cai waved at me and walked toward the boarding gate.
I gazed at her retreating back, suddenly feeling heartbroken once again. This feeling was only comparable to when Jian Wei went to study in the United States.
I could no longer control myself and sprinted after her, tightly embracing her from behind. Almost choking back tears, I said, “When you come back, it will already be early summer. Remember to wear a beautiful white dress… because I’ve never seen you in a dress before.”
Mi Cai nodded heavily but didn’t turn around to look at me.
The boarding announcement rang again, and I had to let her go. She continued walking forward.
Just when I thought I wouldn’t have another chance to see her face, she turned her head around. Her eyes were faintly filled with tears, yet she smiled at me and said, “Zhaoyang, when I come back, I hope to see a confident you!”
I nodded and reminded her again, “Okay… don’t forget to wear a beautiful dress.”
“Okay.”
…
Outside the airport fence, I watched the plane carrying Mi Cai soar into the clouds.
Finally, overwhelmed by the unbearable sadness of parting, I lit a cigarette for myself, gazing up at the sky. It seemed as if I saw her in the clouds wearing a beautiful white dress. I wonder if she could see a confident me too.
…
Driving the CC that Mi Cai left behind, I didn’t immediately head to Xitang after leaving the airport. Instead, I returned to Suzhou because there was something I needed to do.
I needed to find Jian Wei and hoped she could help me with advertising channels because my “Perfect Travel Plan” required quality advertising channels for promotion.
At this moment, I didn’t want to be bound by too much of the past, and my relationship with Jian Wei was now simply defined as being business friends who could help each other.
I knew that in the past, I would have never considered doing this. However, after experiencing a series of recent events, I had a realization: I really needed to change. This change would help me break free from past self-deception and numerous worries, allowing me to face Jian Wei more openly, confront my career, and ultimately become more confident.
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