I hesitated a bit looking at Leyao’s flashing avatar on my phone, so much so that I lit a cigarette to calm myself before answering the call. No one spoke at first until a gust of cold wind made me cough and tighten my coat. Then Leyao finally asked, “Why is there so much wind on your end? Are you still outside?”
“Mm.”
“Where are you?”
“On an old street. I can’t really tell exactly where.”
“Why did you go there?”
“Just chatting with someone… Why did you call me?”
“It was you who messaged me first… I don’t believe for a second your message was just a greeting!”
“Why not?”
Leyao chuckled on the other end of the line and replied, “Because you’ve never sincerely greeted me before, and this time is no exception… If I’m not mistaken, you must want to talk to me about filming that micro film. Right now, that’s the only thing left that makes me feel like we’re still somewhat friends!”
“Don’t say that…”
“What else can I say then?… Oh, I could also say you should take care of yourself. I heard you coughing just now.”
The awkward silence made me fall into quiet contemplation, and I realized that some people will inevitably grow distant over time due to a lack of shared topics. Eventually, they only appear in our memories during certain moments, bringing back the warmth we once shared. Like Leyao in my memories, or me in Leyao’s memories.
Leyao seemed to dislike my silence very much and urged, “Say something! What’s with the silence? Or is it that I’ve always been a woman who leaves you speechless?”
Finally, I found a topic to ask, “Where are you now?”
“Beijing.” After Leyao answered, I heard Cao Jinfei speaking to her. It turned out they had already started living together.
I waited until Leyao finished speaking with Cao Jinfei before asking again, “Oh, then what about the girl? When are you planning to bring her to Beijing?” After a moment, I added, “If you find it inconvenient, you can leave her in Suzhou. There are many friends here who can take care of her without much difficulty…”
Leyao interrupted me, “I don’t want to talk about this with you. I have my own judgment about the girl. Don’t trouble yourself unnecessarily.”
“Alright then, I won’t bother you further. Get some rest early.” Saying this, I hung up the phone. I had sensed her irritability, so I was even less inclined to bring up the topic of filming the micro film and cause her more distress. At that moment, I had already decided not to ask her to participate in this filming project, hoping only that she could joyfully proceed with her wedding to Cao Jinfei.
The conversation was brief, so much so that I hadn’t even finished the cigarette in my hand. Leaning against my car to block some of the wind, I continued puffing away, “puff, puff,” gradually feeling empty inside amidst the shapeless smoke, and the images of the old town becoming hollow as well… In a moment of clarity, I realized: some people are destined to be buried deep in our memories. The感动, annoyances, and even entangled moments from the past are just like this old town—they can never escape the fate of being weathered by time… Yet, thinking of her expressive eyes and her bold personality, my nose inexplicably tingled… Perhaps, that is what they call a warm sense of nostalgia…
…
The next day, I had a terrible morning. On my way to work, my car was scraped by a motorized tricycle attempting to overtake me around a corner. I had intended to argue with the driver but found out the culprit was a migrant worker struggling to survive in this city. In the end, I didn’t pursue the matter further and simply drove the car to a 4S shop for repairs.
After leaving the 4S shop, I went to a mountain bike specialty store and bought myself a bike to use temporarily as transportation. When I had free time in the future, it could also serve as a tool for exercise. This past year, I had clearly felt that my physical condition had deteriorated significantly due to a lack of exercise.
After a busy day at work, I decided to leave the office early because I needed to go to Yangzhou the next day to sign a long-term cooperation contract with the Slender West Lake Yueyuan. At 4:30 PM, I grabbed my briefcase and came downstairs, then hung the briefcase in a rather unconventional way around my neck and rode off on the mountain bike I had bought that morning.
Midway through my ride, CC called me. She told me she was currently at the Shanghai airport and would be going to Hong Kong for the next few days to visit her older sister. She asked me to go to the girl’s school to pick her up and take care of her for a few days. Taking care of the girl was either CC’s responsibility or mine, so I naturally agreed readily and immediately rode my mountain bike toward the girl’s school.
Although the wind was cold, the ride on the mountain bike left me, someone who rarely exercises, sweating profusely. Fortunately, I wasn’t late and arrived just as the girl was finishing school.
Wiping the sweat from my face with my sleeve, I sat astride my bicycle, scanning the school grounds. Moments later, I spotted the girl being escorted out by six boys led by Wei Xiao. I felt immediately satisfied—this was practically a top-tier security level. I waved immediately to the seven of them, including the girl. The six boys, carrying their backpacks, ran toward me in a neat formation, while the girl went in another direction…
The six boys respectfully addressed me as “Leader of the Lone Wolf at Moonlight,” and I seriously waved back at them, saying, “My brothers, you’ve worked hard!”
In unison, the six boys replied, “Serving the people…”
Instantly, parents and passing teachers around me looked at me with strange expressions, but I ignored them. I pulled two hundred yuan from my wallet and handed it to Wei Xiao, saying, “I need to go home early today, so I can’t treat you all to KFC. Wei Xiao, you lead the brothers to eat well.”
Wei Xiao took the money from my hand, leading the other children with military discipline, they marched in a neat formation and bowed to me in gratitude. No wonder they had shouted “Serving the people” just now.
After Wei Xiao led the group of boys away amidst laughter and playfulness, I searched the crowd for the girl’s figure. It took a while before I noticed her, affectionately hugged by a woman wearing sunglasses and a scarf. Both were looking at me… while I, due to the many parents picking up their children around me, had not noticed them at first.
I rode my bicycle closer to the two of them, and only then did I realize in surprise that the tall, fashionably dressed woman was Leyao. I hadn’t expected her to return to Suzhou from Beijing, and I hadn’t considered that she might come back suddenly, which was why I hadn’t recognized her at first glance.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage