After a simple lunch, Jane and I left the county town. Actually, I had already made up my mind: no matter how grand Jane and Yang Congrong’s business ambitions might be, I wouldn’t get involved. I only intended to focus on that “arts and culture path.” I knew that whether I participated or not, they would successfully achieve these ambitious commercial goals.
When we returned to Suzhou, Jane dropped me off directly at Zhuo Mei before driving off alone. My mood inexplicably became somewhat downcast. This feeling of sadness contained an element of struggle and futile pursuit, so I stared at the darkening sky for a long time. The more I looked, the emptier it seemed, and the more I felt as if I were waiting for something that would never end. It wasn’t until the streetlights suddenly turned on and the city’s neon lights began flashing charmingly once again that I snapped out of it.
After work, Mi Cai finally came to my side. In the continuous flow of people, she linked her arm with mine and smiled at me, asking, “What do you feel like eating tonight?”
“I’m not hungry yet. Walk with me for a while, okay?”
“You have something on your mind?”
I didn’t reply, but instead took her hand and walked across the street under the glow of the streetlights, following the crowd.
…
I walked silently the whole way, and Mi Cai didn’t break the silence either, seemingly exhausted from work that day. At this moment, just holding hands without any purpose while walking on the street was also a rare form of relaxation.
After walking through two blocks, we arrived at a street filled with snack vendors. Standing at the entrance, we looked ahead and saw crowds of people sitting around open-air tables drinking beer, eating snacks, and chatting joyfully. Amidst the bustling sounds, it seemed as if no one had any worldly worries. I was infected by the atmosphere and finally spoke to Mi Cai, asking, “How long has it been since you last ate street food?”
“It’s been quite a while, I guess. Why? Do you want to eat some?”
I nodded and said, “Come on, join me.”
“Alright, but don’t drink too much. I just saw your eyes lighting up at those beer bottles!”
I smiled and replied, “With you here supervising me, how could I possibly overdo it?” Having said that, I pulled Mi Cai with me and walked into the alley.
We pushed through countless crowds before finally finding an empty seat. While playing with my lighter, I said to the relieved Mi Cai, “Don’t expect any waiters to serve you here.”
Looking around, Mi Cai asked, “Then how do we order?”
I pointed at the dense crowd and said, “You have to push your way through to the front of the food carts first—whoever gets there first gets to order first…”
“So who’s going to push their way through?”
“Of course you!” I replied. “After all, it’s not appropriate for me, as a man, to be pushing around over there!”
“You’re such a male chauvinist! I’m so delicate and fragile—don’t you worry that I might get completely swallowed up by those people fighting their way through?”
Seeing her acting so pitifully, I couldn’t help but laugh. Then I patted her shoulder and said, “You’re right. I guess I should go push through instead. You just stay here and hold the seat.” Saying this, I stood up and walked toward the crowded masses. Actually, I hadn’t intended to let her do this all along—I just wanted to make a joke. In fact, I would rather take care of these little things for her. And the fact that she was willing to accompany me to experience this kind of ordinary life made me feel very fulfilled!
As I stood up, I suddenly remembered that I had given all my cash to Leyao yesterday. I hadn’t had any money on me today and hadn’t thought about withdrawing any. I turned back to Mi Cai and said, “Let me borrow your wallet—I’m out of cash.”
Mi Cai took out a pure white wallet from her handbag and handed it to me. The first thing I did after turning around was to open the wallet. Although we were in a romantic relationship, I actually didn’t know much about her private affairs, although that didn’t mean I wasn’t curious.
Inside her wallet, there was very little cash, but quite a few different kinds of cards. However, that wasn’t what interested me the most. What I cared about most was the photo pocket inside her wallet. I opened it and saw exactly what I expected: a photo of her with Mi Zhongxin. In the picture, Mi Zhongxin looked ageless yet exuded the aura of a powerful businessman, his smile kind and gentle. Mi Cai, wearing her graduation gown, held a bouquet of flowers and leaned affectionately into Mi Zhongxin’s arms, her expression playfully sweet. She looked nothing like the composed and distant woman she was now—even quite sunny back then. I couldn’t help but turn back and look at her, thinking about how she had endured the grief of losing her father and had to drift to a foreign land alone all these years. My heart ached with sorrow. Perhaps the lonely and helpless nights she had experienced were far more numerous than mine. While I could drown my sorrows in alcohol, she could only grow colder and more detached, protecting her lonely heart with that coldness.
All of this was slowly passing now. She had become my girlfriend, and I would never let her be so cold again. I wanted to see that affectionate, playful smile on her face again. Although this might be very difficult, I was willing to try.
I knew the trick to eating here well. I tilted my body slightly and pushed my way through the crowd, efficiently completing the task of ordering food. Then, striding confidently back toward Mi Cai with a proud expression, I said, “Did you see my heroic figure just now? I practically carved a path through a battlefield of people. You’re in for a treat tonight! You should feel lucky to have a boyfriend like me!”
Mi Cai, either amused by my expression or my words, took out a tissue from her handbag and handed it to me, indicating that I should wipe the sweat off my face. In reality, although the ordering process seemed effortless, it had really squeezed me quite a bit—I had indeed broken a sweat.
I leaned my face toward Mi Cai and said, “Help me wipe it.”
Mi Cai carefully wiped the sweat off my face, then looked around for a trash bin but couldn’t find one. Eventually, she put the used tissue back into her handbag. It seemed she still wasn’t quite used to the casualness of eating street food. Actually, all around our feet, there were used tissues scattered everywhere. I couldn’t help but wonder whether trying to assimilate her into this lifestyle was right or wrong. After all, no one would believe that the chairman of Zhuo Mei would come to such a bustling, commoner-style place to eat.
But even if she was a glass of expensive red wine, she would eventually marry a guy like me, who’s as ordinary as a deep-fried Chinese cruller. Only by being compatible with each other could life avoid becoming too monotonous.
Therefore, I said to her, “Would you mind being a glass of soy milk instead of red wine?”
She looked puzzled and said, “I don’t quite understand what you mean.”
I pulled the old, faded chair over and sat beside her, speaking earnestly, “Could you just act a bit affectionate with me first?”
“Huh?”
Mi Cai’s confused reaction was exactly what I had expected. After all, my request was quite absurd, especially in such a mixed and chaotic place. But I didn’t care about that. I kept staring at her, clearly determined not to give up until she acted affectionately toward me.
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