After A Feng and I each finished our bottle of beer, I called Zhou Zhaokun. When he learned that I was in Xitang, he was very happy. Without waiting for me to suggest it, he invited me to join him at a bar for some drinks, which I was more than happy to do.
At 12:30 PM, A Feng, Zhou Zhaokun, and I met at a small bar. After a brief exchange of greetings, the three of us found an empty spot on the second floor of the bar and sat down.
It was already late autumn, and Xitang had entered its traditional low tourist season. Even so, the scenery of the ancient town was still quite nice—at least it had a more tranquil charm. Even the water flowing in the Xitang River seemed gentler and more graceful, carrying a few drifting leaves that floated in the air, making the scene especially enchanting. I couldn’t help but feel that this was truly a perfect afternoon for drinking.
After refilling our glasses, the three of us began to drink and chat casually about what we had been up to lately. Among us, Zhou Zhaokun’s experiences were the most colorful—he had recently traveled to many countries, seeking thrills in life.
About half an hour later, A Feng had to leave early to prepare for an event at his bar that evening. Thus, the second floor of the bar became just me and Zhou Zhaokun. However, our enthusiasm for drinking didn’t wane, and we each poured ourselves another full glass of beer.
As we continued to drink glass after glass, my head began to feel dizzy. I suggested to Zhou Zhaokun that we take a short break before continuing. We each lit a cigarette, and as the smoke rose between our fingers, time seemed to stand still. I couldn’t help but close my eyes and savor this rare moment of leisure, as if for an instant I had escaped all the taboos and absurdities of the world… A moment later, I realized I was quite drunk—I couldn’t hold my liquor as well as Zhou Zhaokun.
After shaking the ash from my cigarette, I finally opened my eyes again and, with a serious expression, said to Zhou Zhaokun, “Brother Zhou, there’s something I’ve always wanted to confirm with you.”
“Hmm? Go ahead.”
“Well, I’ll just say it straight… When Leyao left the entertainment industry, she had several commercial contracts on her hands. I want to know—was it you who paid off that huge breach-of-contract fee for her in the end?”
Zhou Zhaokun looked surprised, then shook his head and said, “I wasn’t involved in any of her matters… After she left the entertainment industry, I invited her out several times, but she seemed to resist. I didn’t want to make her dislike me even more, so I haven’t contacted her in a long time!”
This answer surprised me greatly, making me even more puzzled. In my mind, I couldn’t imagine who else could have paid off that huge breach-of-contract fee for her. Thus, something I should have known became even more confusing.
Zhou Zhaokun, seeing that I was still thinking, asked me, “How has she been lately?”
“She stayed in Singapore for a while and came back to China a few days ago. As for how she’s doing, I’m not really sure. Anyway, she’s pretty free and easy!”
Zhou Zhaokun smiled, then sighed and said, “Actually, I envy you quite a bit—you’ve been able to stay by her side as a friend for so many years… Can you understand the helplessness of wanting to care, but lacking the position and opportunity to do so?”
I nodded to show that I understood… Of course I did—I had experienced it firsthand. After my breakup with Mi Cai, she had fainted at work from exhaustion, but when I went to the hospital to visit her, I could only act like an ordinary friend, offering a few indifferent words of concern. My heart was breaking because I had no position or opportunity to offer more meaningful care.
…
On this carefree afternoon, finally, Zhou Zhaokun and I drank to our heart’s content. Then, the two of us, drunk, fell asleep on the bar table. When dusk came, I woke up before him. In my dizziness, I suddenly remembered that Mi Cai and the woman in red were coming to Xitang to find me. Looking at the darkening sky, I guessed they should have already arrived. I quickly took out my phone from my pocket and immediately broke into a cold sweat—Mi Cai had already called me several times, but because I had blacked out from drinking, all those calls had turned into missed calls glaringly displayed on my phone screen.
After muttering a few curses, I hurriedly called her back. The call was quickly answered, proving that Mi Cai had been waiting for my call. My tongue was a bit slurred as I asked, “Uh… Well, have you arrived in Xitang yet?”
But the voice on the other end of the line was the cold one of the woman in red: “We’ve already been here for almost two hours… Tell me, what have you been doing these past two hours!”
I wiped the drool from the corner of my mouth and replied somewhat guiltily, “I was sleeping… Could you forgive me for that?”
“Can you sleep so deeply that you don’t even wake up after I called you so many times?”
“I was drinking until I blacked out… The fact that I’m awake now proves that my ability to sober up is extraordinary. You wouldn’t believe it—the guy who was drinking with me is still there on the other side of the table, mumbling in his sleep!”
“And you seem proud of that?”
“Yeah, I am kind of proud… By the way, why did you answer the phone? Where is Mi Cai?”
“She went to buy something to eat. Do you think after traveling all the way here to Xitang and sitting by the river for two hours, we wouldn’t be hungry?”
I tried to save face and changed the subject: “You actually sat by the river for two hours? Then the tourists here today must have had quite a sight. Who would have thought that my unintentional mistake would turn into something good? You two are definitely more beautiful than the sights of Xitang!”
“Cheeky!”
I smiled awkwardly and asked, “Where are you now? I’ll come find you.”
“Just walk along the Xitang River and you’ll see us. It should be about 100 meters west of your inn…”
I said “Okay,” and was about to hang up the phone when I suddenly remembered a detail. I sharply said to her, “Why did you make my girlfriend go buy food while you sit by the river looking as beautiful as a flower?”
There was silence on the other end of the line. The longer the silence, the more I felt her anger. Finally, she replied in a tone that seemed like she wanted to strangle me: “I drove all the way from Wuxi to Xitang. Can’t I rest a bit more?”
“Oh, well, you should’ve told me earlier. If I had known you were the one driving all the way, I wouldn’t have teased you. After all, now I feel better psychologically!”
“Forget it, I won’t argue with you. At least your original intention was to care for your girlfriend!”
I vaguely sensed the pain and envy hidden in her words, and no longer felt like joking around with her. I simply told her to wait where she was before hanging up and rushing back toward my inn.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage