On the small stage, Luo Ben strummed his guitar. Leyao began singing along with the rhythm while I sipped my beer absentmindedly.
After a while, I said to CC, “Leyao really has the potential to become a top female actress.”
CC looked at me in confusion and asked, “Why do you say that?”
“Have you ever heard Yang Mi or Fan Bingbing sing well? Clearly, by the standard of singing, Leyao’s becoming a top actress is just a matter of time!”
CC chuckled and said, “Zhaoyang, you’re really mean. You twist your words so much to tease Leyao. She’d be furious if she knew!”
Curiosity suddenly sparked within me, and I nudged Mi Cai beside me, saying, “Why don’t you go up later and give it a try? I haven’t heard your enchanting voice yet!”
“I only enjoy listening to others sing,” Mi Cai declined with a shake of her head.
Feeling slightly disappointed, I took a sip of beer and turned my attention back to Leyao singing on stage.
Soon after, CC asked the waiter to bring a camera, left his seat, and chose a good spot to capture on film Leyao and Luo Ben performing on the small stage.
When CC returned to his seat, I said, “You’re really biased. You didn’t even take a photo when I was singing, so you missed recording my magnificent posture.”
CC smiled and showed me the photos he had just taken, adding, “They turned out pretty well, right? These might become some meaningful photos someday!”
I nodded and glanced at Leyao and Luo Ben on stage. Perhaps one day they would indeed become famous in the entertainment industry, and these photos of their duet before fame would naturally be significant. However, even if that day came, who would know the countless difficult yesterdays and todays they had endured on their path to success?
It was a simple evening, so simple that we just took turns singing on the small stage. Mi Cai was even simpler, barely speaking throughout the night, only quietly listening with her chin resting in her hand. Perhaps everyone who came to “Kong Cheng Li” regarded this place as a beach where they could pause and rest, simply listening to music and enjoying the warmth of humanity.
Dinner had originally been my treat, but in the end, Mi Cai beat me to it by putting a thousand yuan into the box symbolizing human kindness. I was very pleased with this and proudly showed off in front of everyone, boasting that my “girlfriend” was rich.
Everyone teased me by calling me the “pretty boy” kept by Mi Cai.
In reality, there were neither rich people nor pretty boys—just some light-hearted fun among young people. Our youth was nearly gone, and only through laughter and playfulness could we make our final days of youth seem less lonely and burdensome because none of us wanted to be the lonely one in our most beautiful years!
…
After leaving CC’s restaurant, Mi Cai said goodbye to everyone and drove off first, followed by Luo Ben, while I had to drive Leyao back to her hotel.
On the way, Leyao, who hadn’t been drinking, drove, I opened the window, lit a cigarette, and habitually gazed at the city under the night sky.
At some point, the sky had begun drizzling lightly, and the autumn breeze was slightly cool.
Suddenly, Leyao changed lanes and turned the car around, driving in the opposite direction. She said to me, “It’s still early, and the hotel is too stuffy. Let’s go sit by the moat.”
“Okay,” I responded absentmindedly, continuing to immerse myself in the endless night.
A short while later, we arrived at the riverside and sat closely together on the grass, which had already been slightly dampened by the drizzle.
After sitting for a bit, I lay flat on my back on the grass, letting the continuous drizzle soak me, completely emptying my thoughts in the cool autumn breeze.
Leyao also lay down beside me on her side, her hand resting on my chest. She softly asked in my ear, “Zhaoyang, actually, Mi Cai isn’t really your girlfriend, is she?”
A bit surprised, I asked, “How can you tell?”
Leyao smiled and said, “A woman’s intuition. I can tell she doesn’t have romantic feelings for you.”
Her insight made me believe even more in the intuitive nature of women. I nodded and admitted, “Yeah, she’s not my girlfriend. I just didn’t want Jian Wei to see me in such a pitiful state when we met that time. I acted on impulse and told her she was my girlfriend.”
“Jian Wei is back?” Leyao’s voice was full of surprise.
“Yeah,” I sighed, then lit another cigarette, taking a deep puff while using my arms to pillow my head, looking up at the drizzling sky with a sense of melancholy.
Leyao seemed a bit cold and hugged me tighter, but remained silent. Thus, two people drifting through life just clung to each other in this drizzly night, seeking out the scarce warmth available.
Not sure how long had passed, Leyao softly whispered in my ear, “Zhaoyang, do you have a place you long for in your heart?”
“Yes, it’s a city.”
“A city? Like CC’s restaurant?”
“No, it’s in the sky, a transparent city in the air, where a beautiful woman with long hair down to her shoulders lives.”
Leyao thought for a moment and said, “Mi Cai is a beautiful woman with long hair down to her shoulders.”
“No, it’s not her. Her hair is slightly curly.” After denying her suggestion, I asked Leyao, “What about you? What place do you long for in your heart?”
“It’s a small island across the beach, but I don’t know where this island is. Later, I met a man sailing a boat in the middle of the sea. He took me to that island, and we’ve lived together ever since. Every day on the island, we watch the sunset together. Oh, he cooks dinner for me every evening, so there’s smoke rising from the island, and we no longer have to think about the mundane affairs of the world.”
I smiled and said, “You’re really something! You’ve even thought of the story plot. It’s beautiful, even more beautiful than my city.”
Leyao didn’t say anything else, instead pressing her face against mine. After a long while, she said to me, “Zhaoyang, stop thinking about Jian Wei. Work hard for your own life. We mustn’t become people defeated by reality.”
The cigarette in my hand had already been soaked by the rain. I took a deep puff, but all I tasted was the dampness and smell of rainwater mixed with the smoke, making me feel uncomfortable. I couldn’t help but ask myself: Could I really forget Jian Wei, work hard from now on, and become a master of life?
This time, I gave myself an answer. Regardless of whether I could forget Jian Wei or not, I should strive hard. I was well aware that the opportunity I had received at work was obtained at the cost of great suffering for Leyao.
After a moment of silence, I said to Leyao, “I really should work hard from now on. Starting today, I will quickly sort out my life and become a master of living.”
“Okay.” “…Zhaoyang, hold me tighter. It’s getting cold!”
The rain continued to drizzle. In a low-lying area, a small puddle had finally formed. The light from the streetlamp projected onto this small puddle, as if refracting the image of that “city in the sky” and “the island across the beach.”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage