Leyao seemed very reluctant about my suggestion. I continued, “As a woman, you indeed have the right to act capriciously, but you must recognize who your opponent is. Now, your rival is merely a slightly chubby and timid little boy. If you still insist on being unreasonable, you’d seem truly ruthless!”
Leyao remained silent, but Weixiao’s face turned fierce. Clenching his teeth, he said to Leyao, “Sister, let’s duel! Whoever wins gets Jingang!”
Leyao took off her sunglasses and said to me, “Zhaoyang, did you see how arrogant this little fatty is? Go get us each a gun so I can duel him.”
I gave Leyao a disapproving look and said, “You’re going to act like a child too? Let’s stop wasting time. I propose that you first put Jingang down, and then both of you stand on opposite sides. Whoever Jingang wants to live with will naturally be the one he runs to… However, let me make one thing clear beforehand: this is a free and democratic choice, so no matter who Jingang ends up choosing, the other person should maintain composure and offer the winner a smile of congratulations… Can both of you agree to this?”
Leyao and Weixiao exchanged glances, then nodded at me. With that settled, things became simple. I immediately became the referee, taking Jingang from Leyao and separating the two to opposite sides…
Weixiao was a clever little fatty. By now, he had already understood my intention of having him prepare dog food, and winked at me. I quickly signaled him discreetly to keep it low, fearing Leyao might catch on and ruin everything.
Weixiao immediately switched into acting mode, watching the teacup dog in my hand with a tense and serious expression, while Leyao also looked serious and anxious.
I pretentiously coughed twice and said, “Contestants, please try to relax a bit. After all, dogs have their own will, and this isn’t something that can be forced, so just leave it to fate.”
Weixiao cooperatively replied, “Brother Yang, I’ll leave it to fate!”
Leyao gave Weixiao a sidelong glance and said, “You little brat, do you even understand what fate is?”
I jumped in and said, “Don’t mind others, just ask yourself if you believe in fate.”
“How can I not believe… Just stop talking nonsense and hurry up and put Jingang down. He must be eager to jump into my arms by now!”
Leyao’s confident expression left me helpless, but regarding Jingang, this teacup dog, I still hoped he would go with Weixiao. It’s like the feelings between men and women; even if the past was sweet, it’s not as real as the present. So Leyao should have an understanding heart and let Weixiao have him.
I put down Jingang, and Leyao and Weixiao began calling him enthusiastically, clapping their hands. This eagerness left Jingang very confused and indecisive. Finally, he stood motionless in the center, seemingly truly trapped in the agony of making a choice.
Leyao and Weixiao intensified their efforts, clapping even louder. Jingang hesitated for a moment, then seemed more interested in Leyao’s feminine aura. His short tail wagged as he walked toward Leyao, which made Weixiao very anxious. He clapped his hands like a cymbal, trying to make a final attempt to win Jingang back, but Jingang still walked toward Leyao… At this moment, not only Weixiao but even I felt surprised. In theory, my plan should have been foolproof.
Leyao had already opened her arms, waiting for Jingang to run into her embrace. But just as he was about to reach her, Jingang suddenly stopped again, repeatedly looking at Leyao and Weixiao. Finally, he abandoned Leyao and walked toward Weixiao, who immediately scooped him up. Overcome with excitement, Weixiao made a “Y” gesture toward Leyao as a victor, while Jingang kept licking his palm. I knew in the end it was still that bag of dog food that worked, making this dog with weak self-awareness become a “traitor.”
Leyao’s face darkened, cursing “traitor,” but her disappointment and loss were genuine. Perhaps that feeling was really like being betrayed in emotions, but there was nothing I could do. I always firmly believed that Weixiao was more suitable to adopt Jingang than she was.
Fearing Leyao might change her mind, Weixiao quickly said goodbye and put Jingang into his bicycle basket, then rode off like a gust of wind. Leyao, however, stood gazing in the direction they had gone, seemingly unable to recover for a long time. Eventually, she put on her sunglasses again and silently walked out of the square.
I felt a bit reluctant and chased after her, grabbing her wrist and saying, “It’s just a teacup dog. You don’t need to be like this, right?”
“I’m sad that he doesn’t want me anymore… If people being heartless is understandable, even dogs being so heartless makes this world truly hopeless!”
I agreed with her, saying, “Yeah, it’s really too damn hopeless!”
Leyao shook off my hand and walked toward the street again, her despair evident. I didn’t chase after her anymore, standing still and lighting a cigarette, watching her figure sway under the newly lit streetlights. She seemed idle but full of the sadness of being abandoned.
Finally, I shouted at her, “…Big shot, don’t forget to bring the girl to find Mi Cai the day after tomorrow. She’s going abroad again soon, so this matter needs to be handled before she leaves!”
Leyao didn’t turn around, making a “Got it” gesture with her back to me before continuing to wander through the city’s forest, as if unable to find an exit…
…
After parting with Leyao, I called Luoben and Xia Fanye again, bought some snacks, and took some beer to the “West of the Old City” cafe. At this time, Xia Fanye hadn’t hired any other baristas yet, so during this peak dining hour, he couldn’t leave the cafe.
When I arrived at the cafe, I saw Luoben’s very flashy motorcycle already there. He had arrived before me and was already drinking with Xia Fanye on the balcony railing.
I quickly climbed up to the loft, then climbed onto the railing, throwing the snacks to them. Without saying any more nonsense, I opened a can of beer and started drinking with them, looking up at the stars, which immediately broadened my view, immersing me in the somewhat gloomy night.
The cool autumn breeze blew past us again and again, and in that old city, a seemingly revitalizing glow flickered. Yes, although the city was old, there were still people living in it. As long as there were people, there would always be life, making that desperate old city seem to still have a glimmer of hope.
Luoben opened a can of beer and drank it all at once before finally asking me, “Has the big shot come back?”
“Yeah, we just met a while ago. What, hasn’t she found you yet this time?”
“No, I only heard from CC that she’s back.”
I smiled and said, “Then it seems like she’s avoiding you a bit!”
“Rolling ball, she just hasn’t been thinking about us friends… By the way, what were you two doing together today?”
I couldn’t really tell Luoben that today we had been quite upset over a dog, so I lightly said, “Just took care of a small matter.”
Luoben smiled at me, then finished the remaining beer in his can. Suddenly, the three of us, not particularly talkative men, collectively fell silent, while our drinking speed suddenly increased, leading to several empty beer cans around us soon.
The alcohol began to burn inside our bodies, and the previous chill gradually disappeared. Seizing the moment, I opened another can of beer but suddenly remembered something and asked Luoben beside me, “Let me ask you something. Do you know who paid the breach of contract fee for Leyao when she quit showbiz?”
“Why suddenly ask about this?”
Seeing the somewhat surprised look in Luoben’s eyes, I felt he probably knew something about the inside story, so I urged him, “Don’t play games with me about this. I’m just curious about who was so powerful behind her back, quietly and subtly helping her resolve this matter!”
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