I hesitated for a long time before answering Mi Cai’s call. I spoke in a voice lower than usual, “Have you finished work yet?”
“Yeah. Haven’t you?”
“I’m about to finish.”
“Oh, where is your company? I’ll pick you up. After helping you move today, at least one of my worries will be resolved.”
I smiled and said, “You’re helping me move so enthusiastically just because you’re afraid I’ll keep pestering you, right?”
“You used a good phrase—’pestering’! …You still haven’t answered where your company is.”
I paused slightly before replying, “Why don’t I meet you at Zhuomei? The rice noodle shop downstairs is pretty good. Let me treat you today, as a thank you for helping me move.”
“Fine, then come here. I’ll wait for you at the entrance of the rice noodle shop.”
I acknowledged Mi Cai and we both hung up the phone. I tidied up my mood and left the office with my backpack.
…
When I arrived at the north entrance of Zhuomei Shopping Mall, Mi Cai was already waiting at the rice noodle shop. She wasn’t wearing any makeup today, yet she remained so naturally beautiful. It was the peak shopping hours, and as people passed by, almost every one of them instinctively turned their gaze toward her, captivated by her beauty. After all, in this day and age, naturally beautiful women who don’t wear makeup are extremely rare.
But I am a man who doesn’t appreciate her beauty well. From the very first day we met, I always felt her beauty had nothing to do with me. What I always cared about was whether she would let me stay in that house. But in the end, I still moved out.
To put it awkwardly, moving out of that house was also a compromise to reality. Although I had lived there for more than two years, and Mi Cai had been there for less than a month, because the property deed was in her name, it was still me who ended up moving out. It had absolutely nothing to do with how long we had stayed or how deep our feelings were—it was merely a compromise forced by reality.
Perhaps I really am too idealistic. That’s why I insisted on using the length of time we lived in the house as a standard, imposing the identity of a lodger onto Mi Cai, never thinking there was anything wrong with it, believing it was only natural. But now it seems that I was the real lodger, or perhaps not even that. At least Mi Cai, who held the property deed, had never agreed to rent that house to me.
Standing in front of Mi Cai, we both looked at each other in silence. It seemed that without our usual confrontations, we had nothing to talk about.
I finally asked her, “Have you been waiting long?”
“Not really. Let’s go. It’s almost full inside.” Mi Cai glanced behind her.
I nodded and walked toward the rice noodle shop ahead of her. For the first time, I very politely opened the glass door for her. She looked at me with a hint of surprise but politely said, “Thank you,” before stepping inside.
Mi Cai found an empty seat and sat down. I went to order the food. After waiting in line for a while, I ordered two bowls of rice noodles and some other snacks. Then, holding the ticket and waiting number, I sat across from Mi Cai.
We had been eating at this rice noodle shop for two consecutive days. I couldn’t help but ask the woman sitting across from me, “Is it because your name is Mi Cai that you like eating rice noodles?”
Mi Cai looked at me but didn’t answer. She simply picked up the teacup in front of her and took a sip of water, clearly unwilling to answer my silly question.
I smiled, not minding at all. After all, I had already gotten used to her indifferent attitude toward me. Even though in rare moments, we could still act like ordinary friends.
Soon after, the ordered food was delivered by the server. Mi Cai only took one bowl of rice noodles and pushed all the other snacks toward me.
I pushed the chicken leg and tofu back toward her, saying, “You have to help me move later. It’s physical work—you should eat more.”
“I’m only responsible for driving. Besides, do you really have that much stuff? Last time you moved out, I saw you dragging everything by yourself in one go.”
I recalled the awkward situation when I had to flee because I couldn’t afford to pay Mi Cai back, and I chuckled sheepishly, “I just wanted an excuse to make you eat more, so I can tease you about getting fat and see what you look like when you turn into a chubby version of yourself!”
“You’re truly evil! But I have to disappoint you—I don’t gain weight easily!”
Looking at Mi Cai’s slightly smug expression as she said she didn’t gain weight, I genuinely smiled. Although she was often indifferent, she still had a childish side. Her spontaneous display of innocence in front of me precisely showed that she no longer felt guarded around me. Perhaps all the conflicts and unpleasantness between us were only because of that house.
…
After finishing our meal, I went with Mi Cai to Luo Ben’s place. My belongings weren’t much, and originally I had planned for her to wait downstairs, but she insisted on coming up with me and helped carry a few lighter bags. Actually, she was like most women—saying one thing but doing another. Just now at the rice noodle shop, she had clearly told me she would “only be responsible for driving, not moving.”
But this kind of hypocrisy only further proved she was a kind-hearted woman. That’s why Ba Die quickly judged her to be a good girl after meeting her just twice.
Arriving at my new place, I did some simple cleaning, while Mi Cai helped me make the bed at the same time. I felt quite guilty about it. I recalled how not long after we first met, I had rudely thrown all her blankets and quilts downstairs. At the time, it was out of frustration, but when comparing our behaviors now, I felt even more ashamed.
After tidying everything up, I went downstairs to a beverage shop and bought two hot fruit juices, handing one to Mi Cai. I also brought a chair for her to rest, making her suspicious that I might be trying to use sweet gestures to coax her into letting me move back into that house again. In reality, she misunderstood me. I was just feeling guilty about my past rudeness and the secrets I had kept from her.
Mi Cai only drank half of her juice. She placed it on the coffee table and said to me with a sigh of relief, “I guess you’re all set now. I should go.”
“Oh, drive safely.”
“Okay.” Mi Cai responded and had already picked up her handbag.
I opened the door for her and said, “In the future, if you ever have something you can’t handle on your own, feel free to call me anytime. I’ll come whenever you need me.”
Mi Cai nodded and turned to walk outside. I added, “If you ever feel like having home-cooked meals, come over. I’ll cook for you. It’s close to your company anyway.”
“Got it.” Mi Cai didn’t turn around, but her tone wasn’t as cold as before. I understood that her “got it” wasn’t just a way to appease me. Perhaps one evening, she really would come here for a dinner I cooked myself—some porridge, rice, and a few simple home-style dishes.
Mi Cai was walking further and further away. Watching her receding back, I was overwhelmed with mixed emotions. Perhaps Mi Zhongde would soon carry out his power play. If I continued to keep secrets, even if I told Mi Cai later, there wouldn’t be much time left for her to prepare.
Mi Cai had already entered the elevator and disappeared from my sight, but Ba Die’s words urging me to treat her well suddenly flashed through my mind again, causing me another wave of painful torment. Amid this continuous agony, I finally felt completely overwhelmed. Clenching my teeth, I told myself: I will be myself—be the scoundrel in others’ eyes, but a self with principles and convictions.
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