I followed Jian Wei’s gaze toward the Xitang River, as if witnessing the life ravaged by time, breaking into pieces, drifting with the current, and finally shimmering with silver light under the sunlight, scattered by the wind toward the river’s end.
Yet, the emotion I once felt in a moment of trance still lingered in my heart. Perhaps all beauty originates from imperfection, which is why Jian Wei and I grew closer in our mutual concern, even as our relationship drifted further apart.
Finally, I smiled at Jian Wei and said, “Let’s go inside. Food and drinks are all ready for you.”
Jian Wei nodded, and under my guidance, she, Fang Yuan, and Yan Yan walked toward the balcony of the inn.
After settling Jian Wei and the others, I sat again under a willow tree opposite the inn, waiting for the arrival of my parents. Judging by the time, they should be nearly here.
Le Yao, who had stayed in the inn all along, walked out as I was looking around. She sat on the curb beside me and joked, “Sigh… Even if you stare like this, she won’t come back!”
I glanced at her and said, “I’m waiting for my parents.”
“Oh, your parents must really dote on you to come all the way from Xuzhou just to celebrate your birthday!”
I gave Le Yao a sidelong glance, then lit a cigarette and took a puff before replying, “Can we still be friends?”
Le Yao hugged her knees, looking lost and wistful. After a long pause, she replied, almost irrelevantly, “I remember the last time my parents celebrated my birthday with me—I was still a high school freshman. It’s been over ten years already!”
I gently patted her shoulder in comfort and said, “All beauty comes from past imperfections, so you should look forward and see your bright and promising future, something many people work their whole lives for but still can’t attain!”
Le Yao nodded, then suddenly seemed to remember something and anxiously said, “Zhao Yang, I’m in trouble… Last year I brought you back from Xuzhou to Suzhou, causing you to lose your fiancée. Your parents must hate me! When they arrive, I should definitely stay out of sight for a while!”
“Don’t act like a fugitive on the run!”
Le Yao looked flustered, “Even fugitives need a certain demeanor. I should pack up and leave quickly!”
Seeing she wasn’t joking at all, I quickly grabbed her and said, “Run away from what? They don’t even know you were the one responsible!”
Le Yao asked me hesitantly, “Then who do they think it was?”
“They always thought it was Mi Cai, so she’s already taken the blame for you!”
Finally abandoning her idea of fleeing, Le Yao sat back down beside me and asked, “Poor Mi Cai! Don’t you want to explain it to them?”
“I prefer not to clarify. At least through this misunderstanding, they’ve come to realize my determination regarding Mi Cai, which saves me from their constant pressure to return to Xuzhou.”
“By your logic, even taking the blame must make Mi Cai feel happy, right?”
I didn’t respond because I wasn’t Mi Cai, and I couldn’t judge her happiness subjectively.
…
During the long wait, I called my mother and learned that she and my father had already entered Zhejiang Province and would arrive in Xitang within half an hour at most.
Ten minutes later, I received another call. Thinking it was CC, I was surprised to hear the voice of the marketing director from “Easy Travel Network.”
He told me that after receiving my email this morning, they had posted the “Perfect Travel Plan” on the website at noon. Within just a few hours, they had already sold 68 packages and advised me to prepare well for the impending surge in tourists.
I thanked him, feeling an indescribable sense of satisfaction. Judging purely from an economic perspective, this meant I would earn at least ten thousand yuan in gross profit daily—an unprecedented income in my decades of life. I strongly sensed that my first fortune was drawing closer!
At this moment of triumph, I longed even more for Mi Cai to return and share this success with me. Yet she hadn’t contacted me for two days, not even a WeChat message. My previously cheerful mood suddenly darkened. Although I knew her work was busy, I couldn’t help harboring some minor complaints against her.
Feeling down, I dialed CC’s number again to ask when she and Roben would arrive in Xitang. I had already decided that tonight I would bring my guitar and join them at A Feng’s bar for a fun evening.
After a brief wait, CC answered the call. Without beating around the bush, I asked, “Where are you and Roben now?”
“Not even left yet!”
“What do you mean you haven’t left yet? It’s almost four o’clock!”
“Sorry, we couldn’t help it. The gift we ordered online for you just arrived in Suzhou today… Don’t worry, we’ll set off right away with the gift!”
“Four o’clock is indeed a favorite time for couriers to deliver packages! So you really bought me a gift online! I mean, you guys are really something—buying a gift online is already pretty inconsiderate, and you didn’t even choose a decent courier company. We can’t be friends anymore!”
CC impatiently interrupted me mid-rant, “Are you ever going to shut up? What courier, courier! Are you on drugs or something?”
“You must be the one on drugs if you’re waiting for a courier to hold you up like this!”
CC sounded defeated as she said, “Forget it, Zhao Yang. I can’t communicate with you anymore!”
“Then don’t play mysterious with me. Just tell me what the gift is! I already told you, even if you bought some cheap stuff online, it’s fine. I’ve been mentally prepared since last night anyway!”
Before I even finished speaking, to my surprise, Roben shouted at CC from the side, “What the hell are you talking so much for? Just hang up and hurry up!”
CC obeyed Roben without hesitation. Without even saying goodbye, she hung up abruptly, leaving me stunned for a while before I muttered into the silent phone, “You’re the one who’s nuts!”
…
Another twenty minutes passed, and finally I saw my father’s old Santana 2000 puffing black smoke as it wheezed toward the inn. I hurriedly stood up to greet them, guiding my father to park the car in an empty space. At that moment, Le Yao, as well as Jian Wei and the others who had been on the balcony of the inn, came to my side to welcome my father and mother.
Under everyone’s watchful eyes, my father finally stepped out of the car. My mother took a cake from the back seat and complained, “Look at this! You insisted on staying in some place called Xitang. Every time your father and I come, the ride nearly shakes our bones loose!”
With a thick skin, I took the cake from her hand and, using the other hand, started to massage her back. Suddenly, I noticed my father standing on the other side, exchanging glances with Jian Wei. He seemed quite surprised by her presence!
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