I didn’t stay at the restaurant “Empty City” with Milan for long. After our words were said, we didn’t even eat the meal and left the restaurant together. Before we were about to get into our cars, she said to me again: “Zhaoyang, Yuanfang used to always tell me that you’re a man with deep feelings and righteousness, but I never paid attention to it nor verified it. Now Yuanfang is in trouble, I hope you’re truly a man of genuine feelings and righteousness!”
“It doesn’t matter much to you whether I am or not. I just want my brother to avoid this trouble. I will do whatever needs to be done, and even what shouldn’t be done.”
“Alright, maybe you really can give me some good news… Oh, I want to tell you, I definitely don’t want Yuanfang to leave Zhuomei. If necessary, I will convene a board meeting to discuss this matter. But if it really comes to that, it would be too terrible… You should understand, right, Zhaoyang?”
Without waiting for my answer, Milan opened her car door and got in. The car quickly drove away, leaving a red trail in the rainy evening…
I stood still, instinctively taking out a cigarette from my pocket and lighting it. I pondered over Milan’s parting words. Actually, I didn’t need to over-analyze them because the meaning was already quite clear. At the same time, she herself understood the serious consequences of a direct confrontation with Mi Cai. That’s why she came to find me today. However, if Mi Cai insisted on not compromising, she probably wouldn’t be able to control the situation anymore.
At this moment, I finally realized the seriousness of the situation more intensely. Milan was ultimately different from Mi Cai. She valued her own temperament more, so discussing a broader perspective with her wasn’t very practical. Perhaps she really would choose to confront Mi Cai head-on because of this incident. Such a confrontation would inevitably have serious consequences. Leaving other aspects aside, her efforts to protect Yuanfang might already provoke suspicion and gossip. Moreover, the relationship between her and Yuanfang was not something that could be openly discussed!
I shook my head with a bitter smile, asking myself: What exactly is love? And can love really give someone the strength to throw themselves into danger without hesitation? Just like Milan at this moment…
If there truly existed an indestructible love in this world, why does the air around us always seem filled with betrayal, breakups, divorces, and new romances—things that provoke doubts and despair?
If such love doesn’t exist, why do CC, Wei Manwen, Luo Ben, and even Milan, Xiangchen, Weiran, and Leyao seem to live for love?
These two extremes made it even harder for me to grasp the essence of love. Perhaps those around me were just a group of outliers still holding on, which was both my fortune and misfortune. But my life story was destined to be far more dramatic than an average person’s because of their existence. Maybe one day, when I had nothing better to do, I would write a story about myself and this group of people, for my own warning and remembrance, and for the reference and discussion of readers…
…
When I returned to the old house, Mi Cai was already up. She was washing rice by the sink, seemingly preparing to cook. Standing behind her, she turned her head and asked me, “Did you go out to buy vegetables?”
“Ah… No!”
“I thought you went shopping, so I started washing the rice to cook!… Then where did you just go?”
I used a towel to wipe the water off Mi Cai’s hands and said to her, “Don’t ask me where I went first. I have something important to tell you.” Saying that, I took her hand and led her into the living room.
She looked at me somewhat confused and asked, “Did Yuanfang come to find you again?”
“Don’t be so sensitive. He’s already written his resignation letter and won’t come looking for me again… However, what I want to talk to you about is still about him.”
“Then did you go to find him?… Did you return that resignation letter to him?”
With the most sincere attitude, I replied, “Regarding Yuanfang’s matter, could you please reconsider?… I can guarantee with my personality that he absolutely won’t harm your interests…”
Mi Cai looked at me for a long time before finally saying, “Zhaoyang, don’t talk about guaranteeing with your personality. That kind of talk really puts a lot of pressure on me!”
“If possible, I wouldn’t want to say that either.”
“Then tell me, why do you keep trying to influence my decision again and again? I hope you can give me a solid reason.”
I nodded and said, “Yuanfang and I have been brothers for nearly ten years. If I can’t understand a person’s character in ten years, then I’m a complete failure. I believe in Yuanfang’s character no matter what. He is a man with feelings and righteousness. Just because I introduced him to Zhuomei and to you as my brother, he would never do anything to harm your interests… Because he also regards me as his brother!”
Mi Cai fell into a long silence after my words. Although her expression remained calm as always, I could sense her inner struggle. But in my eyes, this struggle was completely unnecessary. I had absolute confidence in Yuanfang. If I couldn’t trust someone I had been close to for nearly ten years, then who else could I trust?
Furthermore, when I met Milan earlier, she had made it clear that if Mi Cai insisted on getting rid of Yuanfang, she would not hesitate to confront Mi Cai directly. Although I couldn’t verify the credibility of this statement, if such a situation really occurred, the outcome would definitely be something I didn’t want to see. I still hoped that Mi Cai could work together with her younger sister Milan to manage the group their parents left behind.
I spoke again to the silent Mi Cai, “Believe in Yuanfang once, and believe in me once, okay?… The reason Yuanfang doesn’t want to go to the United States is ultimately because Yan Yan is pregnant. He wants to stay by Yan Yan’s side and take care of her throughout the pregnancy… You don’t understand his feelings for Yan Yan. Actually, over these years, he really owes Yan Yan too much. He really wants to use this opportunity to make up for those debts. Of course, between a husband and wife, there’s no such thing as who makes up for whom, but this is indeed a reflection of their feelings. You really don’t need to hold on to his past mistakes. Even if someone commits a crime, there’s still a chance for reform, right?”
Mi Cai finally spoke to me, “You can return the resignation letter to him first… The day after tomorrow, you tell him to go to the airport with me.”
I couldn’t quite understand her intention, so I asked, “What do you mean by that?”
Mi Cai’s tone was somewhat weary, this fatigue unrelated to her physical condition but rather to her spirit. She said, “I will explain everything clearly then. Also, could you give me some time to think about it, okay?”
I nodded, but before receiving a definite response from her, I still felt a bit uneasy. I really didn’t want this matter to end with Yuanfang leaving Zhuomei, but I also didn’t want to pressure Mi Cai any further. I softly said to her, “Then you think about it. I won’t influence you anymore because I have already said everything I needed to say.”
“Okay.”
Finally, I smiled and asked her, “What would you like to eat? I can go to the supermarket now, or we can go to the restaurant downstairs together.”
“Let’s eat at the restaurant. I don’t like thinking about things while cooking with you.”
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