Raindrops fell from the sky in a gentle flurry, pooling on the road below. Yet, the waterlogged streets did not stop Mi Cai and me. By now, including the bus stop we were passing, we had seen eight in total. We had also seen many people just off work, huddled under the shelters, shrinking back as they waited timidly for the bus. In truth, they dared not try, nor did they know, the exhilaration that came with splashing through puddles in the rain. At this moment, Mi Cai and I were enjoying precisely that… We were drawing closer and closer to the newly opened “West of the Old Town.”
Under the falling rain, Mi Cai and I gradually slowed our pace, eventually walking at a leisurely rate. We were both breathing heavily, as if the entire day’s rest had been saved for this single moment of pure satisfaction.
We finally stopped beneath a sheltered eave, gazing at the worn-down old town before us. Neither of us knew when it would be redeveloped, but we were certain that the day would come. Then, a new old town would take its place, demonstrating the omnipresence of cycles. Amidst these uncontrollable transformations, we stood bright-eyed, witnessing our own existence within the endless cycle of life.
I held Mi Cai’s fingers and smiled, asking her, “After Ayu moved ‘West of the Old Town’ to this place, do you think he still only sells that same cup of coffee?”
Mi Cai thought for a moment before replying, “Maybe he’s already started trying to sell things like milk. Perhaps we’ll be lucky enough to taste some milk he made today!”
“That would be best. I think we’re more suited to drinking a cup of milk with sugar right now.”
Mi Cai fell into thought again, then smiled after a moment and replied, “Yes, we did lie in bed all day today. Tonight, we really do need a cup of warm milk with sugar to help us sleep.”
…
Turning from the main street into a narrow alley, Mi Cai and I finally saw the shop with two oil lamps hanging at its entrance. Even without seeing the sign that read “West of the Old Town,” we recognized it immediately as Xia Fanye’s style. The flickering oil lamps still reflected his mood, like an artist far removed from modern civilization. I was genuinely curious whether he had produced any good new paintings recently, and even more curious whether his long-empty heart had finally found a place to settle. This place didn’t need to be as heart-wrenching as the original “West of the Old Town,” nor did it need to be as bittersweet as my own “Sky City”…
We stood there briefly before pushing open the creaking green wooden door. The first thing that caught our eyes was Xia Fanye’s back as he painted. From behind the bar came a melodious greeting: “Good evening, may I help you with something to drink?”
Instinctively, Mi Cai and I turned toward her, immediately struck by her beauty and figure. From my intuition, I could tell this woman had definitely worked as a professional model. Her posture and smile gave it away. She was undeniably a woman who left a lasting impression, her beauty rivaling even Yue Yao, who had also started her career as a model.
So, we were puzzled—why was such a woman now working as a server at “West of the Old Town?”
Xia Fanye seemed to be in the midst of creative inspiration, wearing headphones and fully focused on his work. He didn’t notice the arrival of his old friends. Not wanting to disturb him, we softly told the woman, “We’d like two warm glasses of milk, please.”
She smiled and replied gently, “If I weren’t here, you’d only be able to have coffee. But since I’m here, milk or hot tea is available. Please take a seat.”
We smiled back and chose a seat near the window. As we glanced at her again, she also instinctively looked our way. Compared to our surprise, she was equally amazed by Mi Cai’s beauty. I could confidently say that no woman more beautiful than Mi Cai had ever visited this café. Mi Cai’s beauty was inherited from the excellent genes of the Mi family. Regardless of Mi Zhongde’s character, he was undoubtedly an elegant and charismatic middle-aged man, which explained how he could raise a daughter as stunning as Mi Lan… Thinking along these lines, I recalled Mi Cai’s birth mother, Yan Zhuomei. How similar were they?
Shortly after, she brought us two steaming cups of milk, signaling that we could begin. Then, with her tray in hand, she turned to leave, but I called her back: “Miss, would you mind sitting with us for a while? My girlfriend and I are very curious about you!”
She looked at me with slight surprise. Mi Cai spoke up: “Actually, we’re Ayu’s friends. We came here especially to see him, but we unexpectedly met you. Are you perhaps a pleasant surprise for us?”
Mi Cai’s implication was clear—she wanted to know whether this woman was Xia Fanye’s girlfriend. Looking affectionately at Xia Fanye’s back, the woman smiled and said, “Have you seen the painting he’s working on now?”
Mi Cai and I immediately turned our eyes to the easel beside the bar. The painting showed a massive sailboat riding the waves under a setting sun, but the sea beneath the boat was black… The direction the boat was heading was obscured by Xia Fanye’s body.
I asked her, “What does this painting mean? Or where is that boat sailing toward as the sun sets?”
The woman’s face lit up with happiness as she replied, “Xia Fanye said that I am a blooming Tumi flower on his other shore, and he wants to become a sailboat to cross this sea of suffering to come see me… When this painting becomes a complete work, that will be the day he marries me… Since he told me this, I’ve been waiting. I hope this Tumi flower, symbolizing the end of spring, will bloom until the end of his life… Since you’re his friends, you’ll definitely wish us happiness, right?”
“Of course!” Mi Cai and I replied in unison. At that moment, we sincerely felt happy for Xia Fanye, because finally, another woman had entered his life. This was the blessing he received after enduring endless loneliness.
The woman smiled at us again. At the same time, I turned my gaze away from the painting and happened to notice Mi Cai’s running shoes, soaked through from the heavy rain earlier. She must be very uncomfortable now…
I immediately asked the woman, “Do you have any spare shoes? My girlfriend’s shoes got soaked in the rain, and I’m worried she might catch a chill.”
She nodded and walked toward the loft of the café. This small detail told us that she was now living together with Xia Fanye in this little coffee shop. In that moment, I truly felt as if I were seeing a blooming Tumi flower at the other shore, while the sailboat breaking through the sea of suffering was drawing ever closer to her…
This scene suddenly filled me with a sense of strength, guiding me to know that I must walk down the path of marriage with Mi Cai. Although our story wasn’t as romantic as Xia Fanye’s, with a painting as a medium, our destinations were the same. We would stand at the same final point—his back turned to the sea of suffering, and my eyes looking up toward my Sky City!
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage