The phone rang, and Jian Wei answered after a short while. Her voice was filled with the fatigue of a long, busy day: “Is there something important? Why did you call me?”
“I just wanted to talk to you about the financing. You really are something! Back then, when I rejected your investment, you complained to Uncle Yang…”
Jian Wei interrupted me: “Of course I complained to Uncle Yang! Do you expect me to complain to someone as clueless as you? Anyway, tell me, what’s your real intention for calling me now?”
“Well… Uncle Yang hopes you can invest in this project.”
“Just say it directly! Stop hiding behind others!”
Feeling her resentment, I finally said: “Actually… I also hope you can invest in this project now.”
“Why didn’t you want that before?”
After a moment of silence, I replied: “Let’s not dig deeper into this. I feel awkward about it myself!”
“I know exactly what you’re thinking. Anyway… I won’t push you further. But I’m actually quite happy that you reached out to me about this investment. Remember this: we’re doing business together. It’s immature to mix too much personal emotion into it. Don’t you know that in the business world, there are countless ex-husbands and ex-wives who still maintain good business relationships? The bigger your ambitions, the broader your mindset needs to be. Got it?”
“President Jian, you really know your stuff. From now on, I’ll call you Teacher Dong!”
“Don’t be sarcastic and stop teasing me! Our collaboration should be based purely on professionalism; no emotional nonsense!”
“Teacher Dong, your guidance is spot on! I’ve been nothing but emotional my whole life!”
“Better late than never… By the way, where are you now?”
“I’m in Xuzhou. I don’t plan to come back for a few days. I’m trying to find a suitable commercial space here to set up our first location in Northern Jiangsu.”
After a brief silence, Jian Wei said: “Then I’ll come to Xuzhou tomorrow to meet you. I want to personally assess your judgment on the store location and then discuss the investment!”
…
After ending the call with Jian Wei, I stayed at the teahouse until dusk. During that long, quiet time, my thoughts kept circling around matters of career and emotion, turning them over and over again in my mind. It wasn’t until the streetlights came on that I finally stopped thinking. Yet, watching the people and vehicles passing by on the street, I fell into a deep sense of solitude. At that moment, how I wished for a woman I deeply loved to be by my side—someone with whom I could talk about life, work, exchange jokes, tease each other. That kind of companionship would have freed me from loneliness. But now, I no longer had the luxury to enjoy such things. I tried to comfort myself, telling me this loneliness was merely a side effect of heartbreak. One day, I would eventually break free from this miserable situation with grace and find joy in life again.
When I returned home, my mom and the others had already finished their mahjong game, chatting about their winnings. Seeing me, my mom asked with a stern face: “Zhaoyang, where have you been all afternoon?”
“Just walking around the neighborhood.”
Her tone remained displeased: “You rarely come back to Xuzhou, and you didn’t even treat Xiaoyun to a meal.”
I looked at Li Xiaoyun and finally asked: “Do you have time later? Let’s grab a bite together.”
Li Xiaoyun smiled and replied: “I definitely have time, but if you’re treating this as a task assigned by your mom, then I really can’t join you.”
My mom gave me a sharp look. I finally showed some sense and said: “No, no, not at all. It’s just been a while since we last met. Let’s have dinner and chat a bit!”
My mom finally gave me an approving look and said to Li Xiaoyun: “Xiaoyun, go have dinner with Zhaoyang. And maybe help guide my clueless son a bit.”
…
Li Xiaoyun and I walked out of the residential complex. We strolled along a small road lined with plane trees. As we approached the end of the path, I finally asked her: “How have you been lately?”
“Great! I have the fulfillment from work and the relaxation from playing mahjong…”
“Poor thing, another good girl ruined by mahjong!”
Li Xiaoyun just smiled, and we fell into silence again. We had reached the end of the road, arriving at a crossroads with traffic lights. Naturally, we both stopped and looked ahead, trying to choose a quieter path to continue walking.
I suggested: “Let’s head north. If I remember correctly, there’s a restaurant there with great big plate chicken.”
Sounds good. I’ve been craving some big plate chicken lately.
“How about some beer too?”
“Why make this evening so satisfying?”
I smiled and asked: “Does just having beer and big plate chicken really mean satisfaction?”
“Yes, I’m content with this kind of satisfaction. If we can catch a movie after dinner, that would be even better!”
I nodded and gently placed my hand on her shoulder to guide her across the street, avoiding the passing cars. Accidentally, I noticed our silhouettes under the streetlights—nothing special, because we were both so ordinary.
Inside the small restaurant, I poured a glass of beer for both of us. We clinked glasses and drank. Putting down our glasses, Li Xiaoyun spoke directly: “Zhaoyang, your mom is trying to get us back together again. Do you think that’s possible?”
I looked at her, unsure how to respond…
Li Xiaoyun shook her head: “I don’t think so. Your mom loves you too much. She always considers everything from your perspective, so she doesn’t realize how dangerous you are for a woman right now! You haven’t even recovered from your relationship with Mi Cai. Being with you would only make me live under the shadow of another woman again, which is so unfair!”
“So you came out with me tonight just to say this?”
“Yes. Some things I can’t say directly to your mom. I hope you can explain this to her…”
“I already have someone I’m seeing!”
It finally dawned on me—no one would wait forever. I forced a smile and said: “I understand… I’ll find a chance to talk to my mom about this.”
Li Xiaoyun nodded and smiled: “Once, I thought you were the last man in my life, and I loved you with all my heart. But as time passed, I gradually realized we’re from completely different worlds. What I pursue is simplicity and ordinariness, while you always challenge the limits in love. I’m just an ordinary woman who can’t keep up with your pace.”
As she spoke, Li Xiaoyun took out some loose coins from her handbag and handed them to me: “I once borrowed a thousand yuan from you. This is the remaining money. I should return it to you now.”
As I took the coins from her hand, I felt a hidden pain in my heart. Only then did I truly understand how thoughtful and caring she had been when she used this money to change my downward spiral.
I wanted to tell her that now, I also longed for simplicity, for the satisfaction of a beer and a movie. But she had already taken a different path—one I could no longer follow.
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