After I mentioned sending the girl to the “Empty City” music restaurant, CC on the other end of the phone thought for a moment before replying, “Alright, when you get there, make sure someone looks after her.”
“Yeah, I’ll have her do homework there for a while. Anyway, you guys are almost there, right? The girl is well-behaved, no problem at all.”
After a brief silence, CC asked again, “Are you really not going to attend this pre-wedding gathering for Leyao?”
I replied impatiently, “Could you stop asking me repeatedly?… It makes me seem like I’m deliberately avoiding it.”
CC shot back bluntly, “Aren’t you deliberately avoiding it?…” Then she softened her tone and said, “I don’t mean I can’t understand you… Forget it, I’m not in a position to say anything either. Anyway, that’s it.”
After CC hung up, I naturally understood what she meant by “not in a position.” At this moment, Leyao and Cao Jinfie should be sitting in her car. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have spoken to me in hushed tones throughout the conversation.
The sky had completely darkened, and I checked the time again—it was only 7 p.m.—yet the night seemed to have arrived long ago. I picked up the girl’s backpack and said to her, “Alright, I’ll take you to CC’s old restaurant. Wait there乖乖 for them; they’ll arrive soon.”
However, the girl grabbed my sleeve and didn’t follow me forward. I turned around, somewhat puzzled, and asked, “Why aren’t you moving?”
She looked at me for a long time before timidly asking, “Zhaoyang Gege, after Leyao Jiejie gets married, will I have to go back to live in the mountains?”
“Do you want to go back to the mountains yourself?”
She nodded and remained silent for a while before saying, “But here, I can learn so much more than in the mountains… Those uncles and aunts all hope that I will study hard after coming out. If I go back, they will surely be very disappointed.”
I felt an indescribable emotion again. I couldn’t tell whether bringing the girl out from the mountains was truly the right thing for Leyao to do. But one thing was certain: Leyao should devote more attention to the girl. Otherwise, incidents like the bullying she faced at school today would keep happening.
Finally, I told the girl, “As for where you’ll live in the future, I’ll have a serious talk with Leyao. But she told me that even after she gets married, she will keep you with her all the time.”
After hearing this, the girl nodded, and then held my hand and walked out of the square, though I wasn’t sure whether she was truly satisfied with this answer.
…
Driving the girl to the alley outside “Empty City,” I was surprised to find many cars parked at the entrance of the alley. At first, I didn’t think much of it—after all, business could be good or bad, and perhaps today was just a day with a surge in customers.
Holding the girl’s hand, I pushed open the restaurant door and was completely stunned. At that moment, the restaurant was filled with both familiar and unfamiliar faces. Rob was chatting with a group of relatively well-known singers and actors in the entertainment industry. Among them were some people I knew and who had a good relationship with Leyao. For example, Leyao’s former agent—I vaguely began to understand what was going on, but I had already walked in and couldn’t back out.
I was an uninvited guest. Almost everyone looked at me with strange eyes, as if I shouldn’t have appeared in such a setting.
Rob came over to my side, patted my shoulder, and said, “I told you that you’d definitely come to Leyao’s pre-wedding gathering today. These guys didn’t believe me, but now I’ve won the bet again. So, buddy, we’ve got our drinking money for this year!” As he spoke, Rob extended his hand toward those still staring at me, indicating they should hand over money. Only then did I realize why these people looked at me so unfriendly.
Soon, Rob’s hand was holding a thick stack of cash. He came back to me and said, “Zhaoyang, you’re really my lucky charm… Hmm… Well, maybe that’s not quite accurate. Today’s bet was won because I know you so well!”
Before I could respond, those who had lost the bet started heckling, accusing me of conspiring with Rob beforehand to swindle their hard-earned money. Thus, I had become the object of everyone’s ridicule, like a clown.
I restrained my temper and said to Rob, “Could you stop doing stuff like this in the future?”
“What’s the big deal? You’re just not having fun, man!”
“I’m not messing around with you… I didn’t even know the venue for your gathering was set here. I’m only here to drop the girl off. Since you’re here, please take care of her. I’m leaving first.”
After I finished speaking, I turned to the girl and said, “When you get inside, let Rob Gege take you to the private room at the back to do your homework. Zhaoyang Gege is a bit tired from work today, so he won’t play with you.”
The girl obediently nodded again. I patted her face and turned to walk out of the restaurant. Only then did the noisy crowd quiet down and start whispering again.
…
Rob followed me out of the restaurant and grabbed me, asking, “Did I go too far with the joke?”
I stopped and looked at him, replying, “Do you think I can’t take a joke?… I really didn’t know you guys were gathering at Empty City!… Go back and enjoy your gathering. You’re all from the same circle… Let me, an outsider, go home and rest. I’m really tired!”
Rob pulled out a cigarette from his pack and offered it to me, saying, “Got a few minutes to smoke?”
I nodded and took the cigarette from him. Rob lit it for me and then lit one for himself. After taking a puff, he said, “You really don’t want to meet Cao Jinfie at all?… After all, he’s Leyao’s fiancé. As a friend, don’t you at least have the duty to check him out?”
“Enough, don’t talk like that. Don’t give me those formalities. Whether to check him out or not isn’t really our job. The key is, what does Leyao herself think?”
“Then tell me the truth, buddy. If Leyao really gets married, will you not feel even a little upset?”
“What are you implying? That there’s still a possibility that Leyao might be getting into a fake marriage?”
“Don’t twist my words like that. The idea of a fake marriage is just too far-fetched… Unless something unexpected happens, tomorrow’s entertainment headlines will be the official announcement of Leyao’s marriage to Cao Jinfie!”
“Then why are you asking me how I feel? Isn’t that even more ridiculous?” I took a puff of my cigarette before continuing, “Actually, as a friend, to speak from the heart, I just hope that Cao Jinfie can be reliable in the relationship and treat Leyao well after marriage. Then, this marriage would be worth it!”
Rob didn’t say anything for a while, then finally nodded. At that moment, three people came around the corner of the alley. Leading was CC, with Leyao walking behind her. Beside Leyao, arm in arm, was a man I had never met before.
I didn’t even need to think—this must be the famous Beijing playboy, Cao Jinfie.
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