Seeing that both Jian Wei and I had finished the beer in our glasses, Fang Yuan and his wife also raised their glasses and drank with us. Immediately, Jian Wei refilled all the empty glasses.
She raised her glass and said to us, “I’m so happy today, and all of you must drink with me until we’re all satisfied, got it?”
She then drank her glass in one gulp and grabbed the bottle again to pour herself another round.
Yanyan stopped her by placing a hand on her wrist and gently persuaded, “Weiwei, we know you’re happy today, but you don’t have to rely on alcohol to enhance the mood, right? We could go singing or shopping instead!”
Jian Wei merely glanced sideways at Yanyan and then brushed her hand away, stubbornly pouring herself another glass.
I became increasingly puzzled. Was she drinking so heavily simply because she was happy today, or was there something else on her mind that she needed to vent through this means?
Just as Jian Wei was about to drink her third glass, Yanyan also filled her own glass and smiled, saying, “Since you’re so keen on drinking, I’ll keep you company.”
Fang Yuan tried to stop Yanyan, saying, “Drink less.”
But Yanyan ignored him, raised her glass filled with beer, and downed it in one go.
Jian Wei seemed to have found a kindred spirit in drinking, immediately refilling both her and Yanyan’s glasses, completely ignoring Fang Yuan and me, the two men.
Her behavior made Fang Yuan and me reluctant to drink too much, as we could already foresee they would get drunk. Thus, both of us felt the responsibility to ensure their safe return.
Sure enough, that night both women got very drunk. Fang Yuan carried Yanyan out of the restaurant, while Jian Wei, having a slightly better tolerance, was only half-conscious, so I simply supported her rather than carrying her.
The designated driver was already seated in the car waiting for us. As I exchanged glances with Fang Yuan, I instantly saw a look of surprise mirrored in his eyes.
Time is truly a relentless and ruthless machine, altering everything in this world with its unmatched power.
Just a few years ago, it was Yanyan and Jian Wei who had taken care of the drunken me and Fang Yuan. Now, for reasons unknown, we had completely switched roles.
As I sighed inwardly, the half-conscious Jian Wei waved goodbye to Fang Yuan and the others.
Fang Yuan gave me a helpless smile before putting Yanyan into the car. I then helped Jian Wei into her Cadillac, fastened her seatbelt, and sat down in the front passenger seat, signaling the driver to start the car.
The driver glanced at the drunken Jian Wei sitting alone in the backseat through the rearview mirror, looking somewhat puzzled, probably assuming that Jian Wei and I were a couple, yet we maintained a purely friendly distance.
Jian Wei still lived in that community not far from the moat. As we approached, she insisted that the driver drop us off by the moat.
She staggered toward the riverside, and I followed closely behind, fearing she might fall on the sloped riverbank.
I supported her to a flat patch of grass, where she suddenly broke free from my grasp, spread her arms wide, and lay flat on the grass, murmuring, “The breeze feels so good!”
Looking at her very masculine sleeping posture, I couldn’t help but laugh. I nudged her and said, “It’s damp by the river; lie here for a while and then let’s go back and rest.”
Jian Wei ignored my reminder but raised two pale and slender fingers at me.
Not entirely sure, I asked, “Are you asking me for a cigarette?”
“Yeah, give me one.”
“No way. Do you even smoke?”
After I refused her, Jian Wei pinched the flesh on my waist hard, causing me intense pain. I frowned and told her, “Look at how undignified you’ve become after drinking!”
She didn’t let go of me but instead increased the pressure slightly: “Who are you to lecture me?… Don’t you always act like this after getting drunk too?”
Enduring the pain, I said, “I’m a guy. When I drink too much, I can just unzip my pants and pee by the roadside. Can you do that?”
“Why can’t I?”
“Stop fooling around. You’re really drunk…”
Jian Wei continued to tightly pinch me, sobbing, “… Sometimes loving someone too much makes you really want to become like him… Wanting to drink like him, smoke like him, and lie like him…”
I was sure I was sober at that moment, so I hadn’t misheard, but I wasn’t sure whether Jian Wei had spoken correctly. I just stood there, dumbfounded, turning her words over and over in my mind until my phone rang.
I didn’t immediately take my phone out of my pocket but instead looked at Jian Wei beside me. She had already fallen asleep, numbed by the alcohol. She was no longer lying with her arms wide open like just now; she resembled a cat seeking warmth, placing her hands on her chest and curling up with steady breathing.
I took off my coat and draped it over her before finally taking out my phone from my pocket. The message was from Mi Cai.
“Zhaoyang, the morning sun is really nice today. How about where you are?”
I looked up at the sky. It was pitch black, not a single star, and the air was damp. Still, I replied with this message: “The moonlight here is pretty good too!”
Mi Cai replied almost instantly: “Quick, take a photo and show me.”
The reason I said the moonlight was nice was just to give her an image she could imagine beautifully, but she refused to accept this beautiful lie.
I walked to the riverside fence, picked up a stone, and threw it into the river, breaking the reflection of the streetlights on the water into pieces. I took out my phone, captured this scene, and sent it to Mi Cai.
“Why did you take a photo of the moon reflected on the river? And it’s not even complete!”
I really wanted to tell Mi Cai: If it were complete, it wouldn’t be the moon, but the reflection of the streetlights. Yet deep down, I still wanted to preserve that illusory beauty, so I replied again, “The wind was a bit strong, the river surface was rippling, so the moon was also rippling into pieces.”
“You seem to have a hidden meaning in your words!”
“Where would I have any hidden meaning? Everything was done according to your request. It’s just that the wind was too strong, so I ended up capturing a flawed moon.”
This time, Mi Cai replied after quite a while, but the topic had already shifted: “Oh right, did you remember to water the plants and flowers in the house?”
“I’ll water them as soon as I get back.”
Mi Cai sent a smiley face: “… By the way, how did your meeting with Yang Congrong go today?”
“He agreed to feature my inn in a special advertisement on his website.”
“That’s great!”
I smiled and replied, “Today is a good day. We both have benefactors… I heard that Ran also went to the US to assist you with Zhuo Mei’s listing?”
After sending this message, I put my phone back in my pocket and returned to Jian Wei’s side, gently nudging her. But she was fast asleep.
Unable to wake her, I had no choice but to lift her up from the grass and carry her toward the riverside…
The message tone rang again, but I couldn’t check it right away!
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage