The night continued to move forward in a magnificent yet sorrowful way. My eyelids gradually became heavy, and eventually, I fell asleep leaning against the edge of the bed without covering myself with the warm quilt. The warm air from the air conditioner kept gently blowing over me, allowing me to narrowly escape feeling the chill of the night. Thus, I spent the night peacefully in my sleep. Indeed, the more issues I faced in reality, the smaller the gaps in my dreams became, and I had barely dreamed at all recently.
In the following days, I remained busy preparing for the upcoming micro-film production by Lukoo Company and continued expanding the “Artistic Journey” initiative in the Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai areas. The company gradually stabilized amidst these frequent and significant activities. I felt fulfilled yet exhausted, constantly searching for an opportunity to release all this pressure.
It was another night after work, and as usual, I lit a cigarette and stood by the floor-to-ceiling window in the office, gazing at the distant view of the city. Every time I did this, my mind went completely blank, making everything around me seem illusory, except for the dazzling lights in front of me.
Halfway through the cigarette, the hazy street view suddenly became real. I could even see the sign of a small food stall a hundred meters away, which reminded me that it was already dinner time. Consequently, even the sense of loneliness became real. I couldn’t recall who could possibly accompany me tonight for a dinner without any time constraints.
The phone rang again from my desk. I put out the cigarette, walked over, picked it up, and saw it was a call from Yiqing, the manager of “Kongchengli.” I quickly answered. She said, “Director Zhao, there’s a lady interested in ‘Kongchengli.’ She wants to learn about the conditions for transferring the restaurant. Do you have time to come and talk to her in person?”
I murmured to myself, “Could this woman who suddenly appeared be the one who left the money at Kongchengli before?… I hope it’s not her because I can’t challenge CC’s psychological endurance again!”
Yiqing followed up from the other end of the line, “Director Zhao, why aren’t you speaking? Are you not available?”
I snapped out of my thoughts, decided to check the situation, and replied, “Ask her to wait for me at the restaurant. I’ll be right there.”
…
After leaving the company, I headed straight for “Kongchengli.” Due to traffic congestion on the way, I arrived half an hour later. The woman hadn’t left and was still patiently waiting inside the restaurant. All I could see was her back.
I confirmed with Yiqing, “Is it her who wants to take over Kongchengli?”
Yiqing nodded and led me toward the woman, saying to her, “Miss, hello, this is our Director Zhao. You can consult him regarding taking over the restaurant.”
The woman turned her head to look at me, wearing that signature half-smile. I was immediately surprised—wasn’t this the woman in the red dress I met in Xitang?
“Director Zhao, are you very surprised?” she asked.
I nodded and replied, “So it’s you who wants to take over our restaurant!!”
“Yes, I’m very interested… Tell me about your transfer conditions.”
I didn’t rush to answer. I dismissed Yiqing and sat down opposite the woman, lowering my voice to ask, “How did you find out that this restaurant is up for sale?”
“Micai told me.”
“Didn’t she tell you why I’m transferring it?”
“She did.”
“Then why are you getting involved in this mess!… I can’t believe that your famous Tianyang Group would be interested in such a small restaurant!”
“So I’m here to stir things up!!”
Her overly straightforward answer momentarily left me speechless. After a while, I responded, “Director An, could you please be merciful?”
“What if I’m unwilling?”
“If you’re unwilling, I won’t transfer it to you, and you can’t do anything about it either!”
“That’s true.” The woman in red said, her expression turning serious. “Actually, I came here on Micai’s behalf, to persuade you not to insist on tracking down the person who left the money at Kongchengli before. Because when it comes to emotions, things must be allowed to take their natural course. The truth obtained by force often comes with pain.”
“Why did Micai ask you to come? If she really opposed this, she could have told me herself!”
The woman in red shrugged and replied, “You might not listen to her!”
“Director An, are you here to make fun of me? Do you think I would listen to you?”
The woman in red glared at me, “Ungrateful!”
I remained unmoved and leaned closer to her, asking with an oppressive tone, “Could it be that the 100,000 yuan left back then was actually left by Director An?… So now you’re here to clean up the mess, not wanting my good friend CC to feel hopeful only to be left in despair?”
The woman in red remained composed and then replied with disdain, “Director Zhao, are you a screenwriter? You can even think of such a cliché plot?… Do you think I, An Moumou, have such a chance to do something so commendable?”
“There are many coincidences in this world. And since you often appear in Suzhou, I believe there’s still a certain probability. After all, not many people can casually leave behind such a large sum of money and have such noble morals!”
The woman in red smiled and said, “You say that, and I more wish that I was the one who left the money at Kongchengli back then. Especially after money becomes just a bunch of numbers, who wouldn’t want to be a morally upright person… Unfortunately, it really wasn’t me!!”
I looked at her seriously and said, “I’ve noticed that women in high positions like you all have a certain trait—you always think you can foresee the future, then interfere with others’ plans based on your own judgment. But I’d like to ask, things always have two sides. What if the person who left the 100,000 yuan was actually the man destined to become CC’s lifelong partner? If you interfere and cause them to miss this opportunity, wouldn’t that be a great pity?”
“You make a good point. Women like Micai and me indeed tend to develop the habit of making judgments and controlling others during our careers. Often these judgments lack reliable evidence, yet we still strongly believe in our intuitive judgments.”
“But your intuitive judgments are only suitable for the business world, not for life!”
“I don’t want to argue with you.”
“Then let me buy you a drink. After that, don’t get involved in this nonsense anymore, okay?”
The woman in red glared at me and said, “How can this be called nonsense? If you insist on not selling me this restaurant, can I even fight you for it?… But Micai was right. You, this man, seem unpredictable at first glance, but once you’ve made up your mind about something, you’re more stubborn than most people. In our Yangzhou dialect, you’re both rigid and obstinate!”
I didn’t respond to her evaluation of me. I personally went to the bar counter and made her a cup of unsweetened milk. She didn’t argue with me anymore about whether or not I should pretend to transfer Kongchengli. Her easy compromise made me feel like she had come to see me for a more important reason.
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