After all, tomorrow is my birthday, so tonight’s dinner was simple, but not lacking in atmosphere, because it’s rare for everyone to gather together so completely.
The biggest winner of the evening was Mom. When she saw Leyao without her sunglasses, she suddenly realized that she had seen her on TV before. She enthusiastically started chatting with Leyao about things both on and off screen and even asked Leyao for an autograph in the end. It turned out she was indeed a loyal fan of Leyao. This phenomenon further proved the huge market for palace dramas in recent years, and Leyao had truly seized the opportunity, becoming a rare example in the entertainment industry of achieving fame through a single role.
After dinner, Father and Mom went to enjoy the night view of Xitang, while the rest of us prepared to go to A Feng’s bar to spend the evening.
On the way, Luoben, Fangyuan, and I walked ahead, while Mi Cai, Jian Wei, Leyao, CC, and Yan Yan followed behind. When these women walked together, they undoubtedly became the most eye-catching scenery in Xitang at night, with passing tourists constantly gazing after their retreating figures.
Mi Cai and CC seemed to have endless things to talk about, chatting as they walked. Jian Wei and Yan Yan, who had been best friends for nearly a decade, were arm in arm, showing great intimacy. Thus, Leyao, who had never really hit it off with Jian Wei, was left out, but she didn’t seem to mind. Wearing her sunglasses with a cool attitude, she walked among us, truly living up to her star status!
Soon we arrived at A Feng’s bar. Since he had been informed beforehand, A Feng had already prepared a large space for our group and had the waiters bring various drinks for us.
A Feng called me aside to chat about the “Perfect Travel Package” that had recently started selling on Yirong Travel Network. He said to me, “Zhaoyang, I’ve been paying attention to the sales data on Yirong all day today. Even after taking over Zhou Zhaokun’s inn, you’re under a lot of pressure, aren’t you? Now we’ve already started limiting sales because there aren’t enough rooms to accommodate the tourists!”
I nodded. At this point, the contradiction between the inn and other participating businesses became apparent. Taking A Feng’s bar as an example, since it’s quick consumption, tourists don’t stay for long. Even if hundreds of packages are sold in a single day, it doesn’t affect his bar. However, the inn can’t handle that load because there aren’t enough available guest rooms.
After thinking for a while, I finally told him, “Right now, I’ve done the best I can within my capabilities. Taking over more inns isn’t practical. Once the peak tourist season is over, the risk will be too great.”
A Feng said helplessly, “I understand. I hope we can prepare earlier by this time next year.”
“Yeah, let’s accumulate experience this year. Next year, the plan will be more mature. Now what we need to do is provide the best service for tourists, keeping this plan vibrant and sustainable.”
A Feng nodded. I looked around the bar and asked, “Is that girl in the red dress not coming today?”
“She comes every other day now. She came yesterday, so she probably won’t come today.”
I smiled and said, “It seems her emotional wounds are slowly healing, so her dependence on this bar is also decreasing. That’s great!”
A Feng also chimed in, “Yes, that’s really great!”
…
After finishing my conversation with A Feng, I returned to the group and sat down beside Mi Cai. I raised my beer bottle to signal a toast with her. Mi Cai smiled and clinked her glass of juice against mine. After taking a sip, she resumed chatting with CC beside her.
Luoben seemed to have a strong desire to sing today. He had barely finished one beer when he borrowed A Feng’s guitar and took to the stage to perform his original song, “Beijing Girl.” From what I remember, he hadn’t sung this song in a long time.
We all understood the significance of this song. I looked at CC, worried she might feel emotional, but she just rested her chin in her hand and listened quietly. Her reaction only made me more puzzled. Could a woman really be completely accommodating to a man?
Looking at Jian Wei, she held a cocktail and seemed distant. Leyao, wearing her sunglasses, sat in the most inconspicuous corner, showing no emotion at all. Only Mi Cai looked at Luoben on stage with an expression of indignation. I knew she was feeling sad on CC’s behalf.
After Luoben finished singing one song, CC went up to continue the performance. This time, she sang Fei Wang’s “Rushing into Flames”—a musical response to Luoben.
With her magnetic voice, she sang the line: “…I hurt so much I want to cry, yet I foolishly smile. Loving like a moth rushing into flames is a kind of degradation. Who likes to take pleasure in being tortured every day? But devoting myself to love makes me feel proud and great… Loving like a moth rushing into flames is very painful, but I just believe people will eventually be moved. Why can’t you love me as deeply as I love you?”
Mi Cai cried for her. I believe CC had shared the most about her love life with Mi Cai, so Mi Cai understood CC’s helplessness and pain better than anyone else. But in the end, love is a personal matter. What could we friends do besides sigh with regret?
Perhaps her tears were also out of fear that I might still harbor lingering feelings for Jian Wei. As for me, I had never been able to determine my current feelings for Jian Wei. Sometimes I thought we were just close friends, sometimes the past memories would tear me apart. But one thing was certain—I loved Mi Cai. I just needed more time to deepen and solidify this love.
I took another big swig of beer, letting my gaze sweep across everyone’s faces. Suddenly, I felt that perhaps all our lives, this group of people might never truly understand the meaning of love, so we always experienced gains, confusion, worries, pain, and struggles because of it…
But from another perspective, isn’t this precisely the charm of love? Even if we mistake torment for enjoyment, we still bravely rush toward that flame of love.
…
After finishing another beer, I patted Fangyuan’s leg with the back of my hand and said, “It’s too stuffy inside the bar. Let’s go outside for a smoke.”
Fangyuan looked at me puzzled, so I shook the cigarette box in my hand, signaling him not to dawdle. Finally, he nodded and got up, walking side by side with me toward the bar’s exit.
Under the drooping willows outside the bar, we each lit a cigarette, facing the night of Xitang. We took deep drags in默契. I asked him, “How many years have we known each other?”
Fangyuan exhaled the smoke slowly and replied, “More than eight years.”
“It’s really been a long time. Time really doesn’t last!”
Fangyuan nodded: “Yeah.”
I took another drag, holding it in my mouth before letting it escape through my nose. After a long while, I said, “But I feel like I’m understanding you less and less!”
“What do you mean?”
“We’ve known each other for over eight years. You should understand what I mean. You should also understand that although I can’t bring myself to ask certain questions outright, I really want to know the answers!”
Fangyuan was a smart person. He immediately grasped my meaning and asked, “Are you worried that I might do something detrimental to Miss Mi at Zhuo Mei?”
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