Looking at Leyao’s deliberately seductive expression, a feeling of helplessness rose in my heart. After a long pause, I replied, “I’ve never seen a national goddess as capricious as you… Please spare me, a humble guy, okay?”
“Whatever, whether she acts capricious or not, there’s only one national goddess; they aren’t everywhere or they wouldn’t be called national goddesses, would they?”
I remarked, “You seem to be enjoying this title quite a bit!”
“Wrong, what I enjoy is the sense of superiority this title brings me, allowing me to shine brilliantly while looking down on you, a humble guy.”
“Don’t talk nonsense… Even if you are the goddess of all humanity, after all the glamour fades, won’t it all just be a dream?”
“Are you implying that a smile in the mortal world should be shared with you?”
“Where does that come from?”
Leyao sang, “Willingly foolish after a lifetime of wisdom, who can I tell about all my experiences? Loving until love is no longer possible, gathering until it must disperse; after all the glamour fades, it becomes a dream. The sea never dries, the sky never ends; a smile in the mortal world shared with you…”
I exclaimed, “Wow, this actually has its origins… What a great song!”
…
After the press conference, I asked my assistant to book a hotel for the evening banquet to entertain the staff members who had participated in the event. I returned to the company to deal with some accumulated work. After two hours, the sky began to darken. I stopped writing, pressed my temples, and absentmindedly listened to the sound of melting snow outside the window.
Suddenly, I recalled Leyao’s inexplicable singing earlier that afternoon. I clearly remembered the lyrics, and based on the incomplete lyrics, I quickly found the source of the song. After downloading it, I plugged in my earphones and listened. In fact, this kind of song about tragic love wasn’t really my type, but as I neared the end, I still felt moved, always reflecting on the lyrics, “Who can I tell about all my experiences?” It was as if I saw a kind of loneliness in life. Sometimes, you really can’t find someone to talk to about your innermost feelings. Thus, over time, you become silent and start viewing the people and things around you with estranged eyes. So, in this mundane world, meeting someone who is willing to share your laughter and wander with you is such a blissful thing. Perhaps I have met such a person, or maybe I am holding this happiness without realizing it yet. That’s why I still feel somewhat lonely!
What about Leyao, who made me discover this song? Perhaps she also has many experiences to share, yet she chooses to be willingly foolish after a lifetime of wisdom. This is the portrayal I found for her through the lyrics.
As I was lost in thought, someone suddenly knocked on the office door. After I gave my permission, my sweet female assistant came in and urged me to get ready for the upcoming thank-you banquet.
…
The thank-you banquet was held at the most upscale five-star hotel in town. I barely managed to arrive before seven o’clock, stuck in heavy traffic. The hotel’s front parking lot already had several familiar cars, including Jian Wei’s Mercedes SUV.
We had rented a small hall and invited five tables of guests, including leaders from the city’s tourism and commerce bureaus. That’s why Jian Wei was there; she needed to handle these people, and their attendance was definitely for her rather than for Luck or the Cultural Path project.
Following the usual practice, the leaders sat at the head table, accompanied by Jian Wei, while I sat at a relatively prominent table with other important guests. I immediately represented the company to greet and welcome all the leaders and guests, after which the banquet officially began.
Sitting next to me were Roben and Leyao. Leyao shook her wine glass and said to me with obvious discontent, “Your company’s female investor behind the scenes really has an extraordinary air of authority; she didn’t even come over to greet us…”
I glanced toward Jian Wei and replied, “Would she acknowledge you if she came over?”
“That depends on my mood.”
“There you go. Who would willingly seek discomfort?”
Just as I finished speaking, Jian Wei approached our table with a glass of wine, first thanking the main staff members for their participation, then congratulating the successful press conference. She then addressed Leyao, saying, “Miss Leyao, it’s a great honor to have you participating in the microfilm produced by our investment at Luck Company. As one of the investors, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude and look forward to seeing your wonderful performance with Mr. Cao Jinfei!”
Leyao did not stand up and seemed to have no intention of responding, making the atmosphere somewhat awkward. Just as I was about to intervene, Leyao raised her glass and said, “Director Jian, I’ll drink it all, you can have it as you like.” With that, she tilted her head back and drank the entire glass of red wine in one go.
This clearly abrupt response made Jian Wei hesitate for a moment, but she then also drank the wine in her glass, nodded to the others in greeting, and turned to another table. Leyao nudged me and said, “Director Zhao, aren’t you going to greet the guests with Director Jian? You seem really impolite!”
I looked at her and said, “Do you really have to do this?”
“Why not? Isn’t this being genuine? Just do whatever you think and feel. It’s those people who always pretend to be someone they’re not, saying and doing things they don’t really like—that’s what’s truly unnecessary!”
I was momentarily speechless. After the waiter refilled my glass, I picked it up and followed Jian Wei to another table. In fact, this hospitality work should have been done more by me than by Jian Wei. Strictly speaking, this was an event exclusively for Luck.
…
Because I deliberately controlled my drinking, I wasn’t drunk when the banquet ended. Standing at the hotel entrance with Jian Wei, we bid farewell to the guests who had attended the banquet. Whether it was because my physical condition was getting worse or because the weather after the snowfall was too cold, I began coughing and feeling slightly dizzy.
Jian Wei noticed my discomfort and asked, “Are you feeling unwell?”
“Just a bit cold.”
“You’re wearing such a thin suit, of course you’re cold! By the way, there’s a down jacket left by Xiang Chen in my car. I’ll go get it for you to wear.”
“No need, I’m going back soon anyway.”
“It will still be cold on the way back. Don’t catch a chill; your health is the most important thing.” Saying this, Jian Wei walked toward her car and quickly brought back a black business down jacket, handing it to me.
I hesitated for a moment but didn’t reach out to take it, as there was an indescribable awkwardness in my heart. However, this awkwardness seemed unreasonable. Jian Wei had already draped the jacket over my shoulders and then waved to the waiting driver. When the driver arrived, she reminded him, “There’s snow on the road, drive safely. He’s sensitive to the cold, so please turn up the car heater.”
The driver nodded and, with an envious expression, said to me, “Sir, your girlfriend is really considerate!”
I tucked Xiang Chen’s jacket a bit tighter and looked at Jian Wei, who seemed completely unaffected. She then called another driver to take her home since she had also had some wine. I had no reason to think too much about it and followed the driver to my car.
…
On the way, I received a message from Leyao. She said: It’s snowing in Suzhou. While the snow hasn’t melted yet, I want to go see how the railway tracks extend through the snowy landscape.
I know Leyao has a strong fascination with railway tracks. She had drunk quite a bit today, and alcohol tends to stir certain emotions in people. Therefore, wanting to see the railway tracks stretching boundlessly in all directions at this moment was a reasonable choice for her. However, she didn’t mention wanting me to accompany her; it seemed more like a notification.
I was somewhat concerned about her safety. I wanted to go myself, but it felt extremely inappropriate. So I sent messages to both Roben and CC, asking whoever was available to go check on Leyao.
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