When I asked the woman in red about the generous gift she had prepared, she smiled and said, “Isn’t the fact that I specially came here to attend your grand opening ceremony enough of a generous gift? If you measure my time in monetary terms, what I’ve given you is worth a thousand pieces of gold!”
“That’s lame! Stop playing word games!”
The woman in red ignored my complaint. Her expression turned serious, as if speaking to me or perhaps talking to herself, “Your song touched me deeply. Although I haven’t experienced much hardship in life, in love… I once felt so inferior that I hoped that man would personally kill my soul!”
“What kind of man could make you feel so inferior? I don’t believe it!”
“He’s a lot like you, but he longed for life more than you do, lived more earnestly, understood better what to pursue and what to give up. You two seem similar on the surface, but you’re not the same at heart.”
“So, based on these comparisons, are these his flaws or his virtues?”
The woman in red smiled with a hint of sorrow, “Whether they’re flaws or virtues depends on the person. To me, they were flaws serious enough to make me want to kill him. But to the woman who’s with him now, they’re probably virtues worth treasuring for a lifetime!”
“Haha… So, people always live according to their own perspectives, and that’s why the world is so harsh and worldly!”
The woman in red nodded and after a pause said, “I did prepare a generous gift for you, but I’m not sure if you’ll accept it…”
“You’re always keeping secrets. How can I know whether I’ll accept it or not?”
“A contract. I’m willing to entrust your company with handling all of Skyward Group’s travel arrangements for the entire year.”
Actually, I had already guessed this, so I smiled and said, “That’s indeed a generous gift, but can’t women like you, who were born with a silver spoon, be more creative with your gifts?”
“What, are you refusing me?”
I didn’t answer directly but instead asked, “Why are you here with Mi Cai today, and why are your gifts so similar? What’s the real story here?”
“The business community in Jiangsu is only so big, and there are very few women-led enterprises. So Mi Cai and I have a lot in common, and we’ve become friends now. Do you think this explanation is reasonable?”
“Then you’re giving me this contract because of her?”
The woman in red shook her head and denied, “You’re wrong. She gave you that contract because of me… Mr. Zhao Yang, you should remember that I was one of the earliest customers at your inn. I’ve clearly seen your growth all along, and I highly value the potential of your project. I was especially impressed by the two charity events you held at your inn. So I want to give my employees the opportunity to experience the charm of this artistic and healing journey. I also suggested to Mi Cai that she give you such a contract. That’s why we both gave you these contracts. That’s the whole story.”
Her words finally reminded me why Mi Cai had tearfully said yesterday: it was my groundless suspicions that made me biased. Actually, the reason she gave me the contract had nothing to do with our past at all—it was simply because of this woman in red’s suggestion. Thinking back, I really was ridiculous, thinking I was just a supporting male character who made Mi Cai feel guilty before her marriage. In reality, she didn’t even feel guilty… Come to think of it, what was there to feel guilty about? We had been broken up for such a long time, and I was the only one still stuck in the past. She had already flown far away from the map we once pieced together.
The woman in red urged me, “Zhao Yang, make a decision. Will you accept these two contracts from Zhuo Mei and Skyward Group or not?”
“Since the truth is like this, why wouldn’t I accept them?”
The woman in red smiled and said, “Your shareholders will thank you for this decision… I hope you can provide an amazing travel experience for the employees of these two groups!”
“RoadCool will definitely not disappoint our clients!”
As I was speaking, Mi Cai approached us. The woman in red said to her, “Ms. Mi, Mr. Zhao Yang has accepted the travel agency business from both of our companies. But are you still willing to give it to him now, especially after he previously rejected you so bluntly?”
Compared to the teasing tone of the woman in red, Mi Cai remained calm. She simply nodded and said to me, “Mr. Zhao Yang, your song just now was really good. I’ve just never heard you sing it before.”
“This song? I had forgotten it myself. I just remembered it recently because I’ve been feeling a bit down. Hehe… I don’t plan to sing it again in the future. It’s too heart-wrenching, and my throat still hurts from singing it!”
“Did you really write it yourself?”
“Just like Rob, I’m also a songwriter, but I never like singing my own songs because it’s too tiring!”
The woman in red interrupted, “Didn’t know you were so talented. But why do you always like to present yourself as an idiot?”
“I’m just an idiot who still can’t get a grip on life…”
The woman in red shrugged and then turned to Mi Cai beside her, “Ms. Mi, do you still have anything to say? If not, we should leave first.”
I asked, “Won’t you join us for lunch?”
“We weren’t formally invited guests, so we’ll skip the lunch banquet.”
“Whether it’s formal or not is just a matter of words!”
The woman in red laughed and said, “Actually, we do have other plans at noon. We really can’t attend the lunch. Ms. Mi, do you have anything you want to say to Mr. Zhao Yang?”
Mi Cai looked at me, as if she wanted to say something, but finally just shook her head. The woman in red gave a look of regret and said, “Alright then, Mr. Zhao Yang! Ms. Mi and I will take our leave first. As for those contracts, I’ll send someone to contact your company.”
I nodded, watching Mi Cai and the woman in red walk side by side toward the exit of the event venue, leaving behind their breathtakingly beautiful backs amidst the crowd. Yet, despite both being stunningly beautiful, Mi Cai was far luckier than the woman in red. She had never experienced the heart-wrenching pain in love—because she left all of that to me.
I took a deep puff of my cigarette, and at this moment, my desire to post a marriage-seeking ad on a dating website became even stronger. Otherwise, it would seem like I was only good at singing, being depressed, and being angry… but incapable of pursuing the completeness that life offers through marriage.
No one would believe I was a foolish person, so the woman who could marry me—I had already decided on her!
As for whether we loved each other or not, it no longer mattered. Because isn’t life exactly like this? After becoming increasingly calm and rational, I just wanted to say one thing: Damn, life is so fucking hopeless!
But truly, I couldn’t forget her. I couldn’t forget those moments we had together, nor could I forget the joy we felt when we almost got our marriage certificate. I envied the man who could hold her hand and walk down the aisle… Perhaps, I would sing my own songs again…
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage