The diners in the empty city left behind their cash and gradually departed with heavy hearts. In the restaurant, only Luo Ben, the staff, and I remained. A sorrowful atmosphere continued to spread.
Unable to bear it any longer, Luo Ben finally said to me, “Call CC here. I want to ask her directly whether she agreed to you giving up the Empty City. This is sheer nonsense!”
“If you want confirmation, make the call yourself.”
Luo Ben frowned but ultimately did not take out his phone. He said to me, “This restaurant was entrusted to the wrong person… Well then, your company is so powerful that it can shut down anyone it wants. But Zhaoyang, I still want to remind you how hard we fought to protect this restaurant back then… Can’t this world spare a little space for something precious anymore?”
I recalled how, after the Empty City was revived by that 100,000 yuan, Luo Ben and I had fought like loyal guardians against those who tried to dine without paying. Indeed, we had sacrificed a lot for this restaurant, all for the sake of preserving a small piece of spiritual purity in our hearts.
I looked at Luo Ben and said, “Let’s not focus on the restaurant anymore. I just want to ask you—do you agree with the idea that behind human nature lies the impermanence of life?”
“You don’t need to ask me. I understand what you mean… Behind human nature indeed lies the ever-changing world. That’s why, amidst despair, I was fortunate to find my way to Manwen. For the sake of life, I began writing songs that cater to the market. Even Leyao, our female comrade who once struggled alongside us, turned out to be the daughter of the real estate tycoon Xiao Rulin. Everything in this world is impermanent, and nothing is unchangeable.”
“Yes, precisely. Human nature becomes blurred in this impermanence, and faith is a painful luxury born from our friction with society. To adapt to the unpredictable changes of the world, sometimes we really have to sacrifice our beliefs.”
“You don’t need to say more. I know I have no right to comment on this matter. CC agrees with you, doesn’t she?”
I remained silent, but my heart was unexpectedly stirred. Who would have thought that giving up the Empty City would spark this discussion about human nature and belief between Luo Ben and me? Yet, upon reflection, it made sense. Because the Empty City was never just a restaurant—it represented a belief that was at odds with the world. If it truly ceased to exist, it would naturally provoke our reflection.
Luo Ben asked the service desk for a beer, drank it in one go, and then left the Empty City. What remained was an atmosphere of discord, and the posted notice of closure stood out even more glaringly.
…
After leaving the Empty City, CC called me and asked me to go to her place, bringing some food along. I assumed the manager had told her that I had already posted the notice of closure in the restaurant, so she wanted to talk. Naturally, what she cared about most was whether we could successfully uncover the person who had once left 100,000 yuan at the Empty City. It seemed that this had indeed become CC’s only remaining belief. Thus, it was proven that faith is indeed a painful luxury, as demonstrated clearly in CC’s case.
While buying CC a late-night snack, I was fortunate enough to receive a call from Mi Cai. Lately, she had been calling me more frequently than before. The reason I hadn’t initiated calls myself was because I didn’t want to interrupt her work, which could be ongoing at any time. Therefore, I usually adjusted my schedule around hers and passively waited for her calls.
I answered the call, greeting her with a hint of joy: “Good afternoon.”
To my surprise, Mi Cai responded in sync: “Good evening.”
“Have you had lunch yet?”
“I’m having it right now.”
Her response immediately conjured an image in my mind: she no longer had that air of mystery, only signs of busyness and a face too preoccupied to take care of her appearance. Her hair was probably messy, and she was speaking into her phone, which was on speaker, while thinking about whether she could take a sip of soup during a break. Sure enough, I soon heard the sound of her drinking.
I didn’t want to imagine her busy state any further, but I was deeply moved that she had taken the time to call me, so much so that I hesitated to interrupt her lunch.
“Zhaoyang, why aren’t you saying anything?”
Finally, I smiled and replied, “I’m listening to you eat!”
“Eh? You can listen to someone eat?!”
“I’m listening to the sounds of your meal. What are you eating?”
“Vegetable salad… By the way, how is CC doing?”
I loved hearing her surprised tone, so I answered indirectly: “I’m planning to transfer the Empty City Music Restaurant.”
Mi Cai was genuinely surprised and responded with another “Ah!” After a moment of silence, she asked, “Why are you closing the Empty City? I don’t quite understand… Although the restaurant’s profitability has been poor, it has always been the most indispensable establishment on your artistic journey. I’ve always considered it a model for artistic endeavors!”
Mi Cai’s business instinct ensured that she could better understand the hidden commercial value of the Empty City. I smiled and told her everything about my and CC’s plan in detail. After all, she was the least likely person to have left the 100,000 yuan at the Empty City. At that time, she had been studying abroad in the United States, and even within China, the probability of such a coincidence occurring was slim, especially since she had seemed genuinely surprised the first time I brought her to the Empty City.
After listening to my explanation, Mi Cai replied, “I feel like you and CC are grasping at straws. Suppose it’s a woman, or a man who doesn’t give CC the right feeling—wouldn’t she be even more disappointed then? Her pain would double!”
“Don’t worry. I don’t think pain from love can be cumulative. Even if the outcome isn’t ideal, I believe it can at least partially divert CC’s attention from Luo Ben and Wei Manwen’s upcoming marriage… Besides, there’s still a 50% chance that CC might find another happiness. That’s why we’ve decided to give it a try. Don’t you also feel curious about who left that money back then?”
“Of course I’m curious, but I still think this approach might be somewhat inappropriate and could cause unnecessary harm.”
“You’re just too reliant on your intuition!”
Mi Cai seemed to cherish this conversation, and she didn’t argue back. Instead, she reminded me to smoke less. The topic finally shifted away from the troubles of love and returned to the mundane details of life. We even talked about our current weights and what we would eat the next day. But the time we had to connect was always brief. After a short while, Mi Cai ended the call and returned to her unfinished work.
Meanwhile, I had already finished buying CC her late-night snack during the call and was now heading to her place.
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