As summer approaches, we have already reached the end of April. Even the glow of dusk has become less gentle, radiating intense heat across every corner of the city. The sunlight reflects off glass windows, creating colorful reflections like rainbows after a storm, embellishing a city that has not seen rain in quite some time.
I recall that this spring began with heavy rainfall, but by late spring, the rain had stopped altogether. The entire city suddenly became dry, with water trucks commonly seen working on the roads.
After a long day, I was preparing to visit Jian Wei in Shanghai. It had been nearly half a month since I last visited her with Leyao. However, as I was packing my briefcase, Tongzi entered my office holding a USB drive and said, “Brother Yang, today our game development team completed the character design and equipment mode. Please take a look and see if you are satisfied.”
I put down my briefcase, surprised at the speed with which Tongzi’s team had progressed on the project. According to the original plan, the character design and equipment mode were supposed to be completed a week later. I restarted my computer, inserted the USB drive that Tongzi brought, and began to go through the materials. About twenty minutes later, I discussed several aspects of the character design and weapon upgrade modes that I was not satisfied with. He then called in several key team members, and we spent more than an hour discussing until we reached a basic consensus.
After that, I asked Tongzi some other questions regarding the game development. He answered each one, and also raised his own concerns. He asked, “Brother Yang, how much budget will the company allocate for promoting the game before its launch?”
“Both President Zhou and I value cost control. The initial promotion budget depends on how much the development team can save on development costs. With the intense market competition, we must strictly control every penny we spend. Therefore, I can’t give you a specific figure yet. I hope your development team can improve efficiency and avoid unnecessary waste.”
“I understand. I have been strictly managing development efficiency, and the team’s collaboration has become increasingly harmonious. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have completed the character design and equipment mode a week ahead of schedule… Uh, Brother Yang, I just want to ask, are you planning to invite Sister Leyao to be the game’s spokesperson? That would save us a lot on promotional costs!”
“Will it save us? Leyao is too big a star for us to afford. We don’t plan to invite any celebrities to endorse the game after its launch!”
“Brother Yang, what’s your relationship with Sister Leyao? You could ask her to do it as a favor! If she agrees, we could really save a lot on marketing. Don’t you remember her title as the ‘National Goddess’? Her fan base mainly consists of gaming-enthusiast males, so she’s really a perfect fit for our game!”
I replied seriously to Tongzi, “Tongzi, you know better than anyone the scale of our game and Leyao’s market value. These two are simply not on the same level. True, Leyao could do it as a favor, but think about it: having a top-tier actress endorse a second-tier mobile game is a risky move that could damage her commercial value. Her artistic career has already hurt her market value, and if the mobile game damages it again, wouldn’t we be too selfish?”
Tongzi remained silent for a long time before replying, “Sorry, I didn’t think it through. I always assumed Sister Leyao would willingly do anything for you without considering her perspective.”
I sighed inwardly, feeling that I owed this woman too much, more than I could ever repay in this lifetime, even though she had never asked for anything in return. Finally, I patted Tongzi’s shoulder and comforted him with a smile, “Don’t worry, even without a celebrity endorsement, we have other ways to generate buzz for this game. You should believe in our company’s marketing capabilities!”
“Yeah, Brother Yang, since I’m working under you, I definitely trust you completely. I’ll focus on doing my part in game development, and leave the promotion work to the marketing department, who are more skilled at it.”
I nodded… Later, Tongzi shifted the conversation to personal matters and asked about Jian Wei’s current health condition. Once again, I gave Tongzi a disappointing response.
…
That evening, due to work-related matters, it was already past 9 o’clock when I left the office, making a trip to Shanghai impractical. I simply walked alone on the bustling streets with my briefcase, having dinner while walking, my mind continuously brainstorming promotional strategies for the game before its launch. Although time was still relatively sufficient, being prepared in advance was never a bad thing.
Although Fangyuan and I both lived in this city, it had been over a month since I last saw him. Just as I was about to throw my bag into the trash bin, I saw him and Milan walking towards me from the opposite direction. They seemed to have just attended a banquet, as Milan’s face was flushed from drinking, while Fangyuan, who never showed signs of intoxication, walked as usual.
At the same time I noticed them, they also noticed me. Fangyuan whispered something to Milan, after which Milan followed her assistant to the parking lot on the other side, while Fangyuan walked towards me.
As usual, he was the first to speak, asking, “Just got off work?”
“Say what you want to say. We don’t need to waste time on small talk.”
Fangyuan hesitated slightly before saying, “I heard that Jian Wei still hasn’t woken up. I contacted an experienced traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) doctor from Tianjin. He mentioned that some TCM treatments can help restore consciousness. You could give it a try. If you agree, I can invite him to Shanghai to assess Jian Wei’s current condition.”
I was unwilling to give up any possible chance for Jian Wei to wake up, so I said to Fangyuan, “Give me his contact information. I’ll get in touch with him.”
“He is a well-known TCM expert in China. It’s hard to get him without a prior connection. Let me handle this. I’ve already shared with him the details I know, and he mentioned that Jian Wei’s current condition might be partly due to over-treatment. He suggests trying some gentler TCM treatment methods.”
Since Jian Wei’s well-being was of utmost importance, I accepted Fangyuan’s help. He further advised me to be patient with Jian Wei, mentioning that there were clinical cases where vegetative patients woke up after several years. Compared to those cases, Jian Wei’s condition wasn’t too bad.
I asked him when the TCM expert could come to Shanghai for consultation. He assured me that he would handle it the next day. As he was leaving, he patted my shoulder just like before. His smile still exuded a calm and steady demeanor. For a moment, I felt a bit disoriented, as if his past actions of abandoning Yanyan, scheming against Milan and me, were just imagined events, and he was still the Fangyuan who always helped me resolve troubles.
However, this was not a fantasy. Therefore, even now, I still couldn’t understand why he pursued such a life. It felt as if we had passed countless stations, with one standing on the edge of a cliff swaying, while the other continued walking on a path paved with broken stones…
…
The next morning, I put aside my work and went to the hospital in Shanghai early, as Fangyuan had informed me that he would bring the TCM expert to Shanghai at 9 o’clock.
At that time, Yanyan and Qin Yan were preparing their wedding. The person taking care of Jian Wei in the hospital was a professional caregiver we had recently hired, while Mo Zishi, as always, made an effort to visit the hospital morning, noon, and evening, recording Jian Wei’s physical condition.
When I arrived at the hospital, he had just finished the morning check-up for Jian Wei. He gently closed the door to the ward, signaling me not to enter as the caregiver was giving Jian Wei a full-body massage.
I sat on the bench in front of the ward and told him about the TCM expert who would participate in the treatment. Although he was trained in Western medicine, he did not show any resistance. Instead, he looked serious and said, “That’s fine! If this TCM doctor can offer unique insights into Jian Wei’s treatment, I can invite Dr. Carter to come back, and we can develop a combined treatment plan of traditional Chinese and Western medicine. It might produce unexpected results… At this point, I also tend to try various treatment methods.”
I nodded, feeling a flicker of hope in my heart. As family and friends of a patient, this is often the case—continuously cycling through hope, disappointment, and renewed hope…
After discussing this topic, Mo Zishi asked me, who was in a daze, “Did you contact that girl with the phone number I gave you last time?”
I looked at him blankly, only recalling after a while that he had indeed given me a number a week ago, telling me that the girl worked in a government unit and had excellent conditions. At the time, I had reluctantly agreed to contact her when I had time, but I hadn’t taken the matter seriously at all.
I replied, “I’ve been really busy with work lately. I’ll do it when I have time…”
Mo Zishi looked displeased, “You’re just brushing me off!”
“Brother, am I really brushing you off, or are you the one messing with me? You know, you know this is already the eighth one! In just three months, what exactly are you trying to do? Huh?”
Mo Zishi looked even more disgruntled than me and retorted, “Zhaoyang, you know deep down that every girl I introduced to you was exceptional. Can you stop being so stubborn?”
“Who’s being stubborn! Mo Zishi, I’ve never seen anyone as meddlesome as you. If you dare push me any further, I’ll turn the tables on you and sign you up for those wildly popular matchmaking shows. Just imagine all those dazzling girls on stage; surely one of them will catch your eye… Then you can show off as if you’re the loneliest person in the world, meddling in others’ affairs with your lonely heart!”
Our silly argument left the passing nurses exchanging puzzled glances, until Yanyan walked out of the elevator. The two of them instinctively fell silent at the same time, as if the matter of matchmaking could only remain a secret between us, not to be known by a third party. However, at the moment of silence, they exchanged a resentful glare at each other.
Yanyan walked up to me along with the crowd coming out of the elevator. I thought for a moment and said to her, “At 9 o’clock, Fangyuan will bring a TCM expert to the hospital. If you feel uncomfortable meeting him, you can avoid it.”
To my surprise, Yanyan replied, “We’ve already started living completely different lives. There’s nothing we can’t face. At most, just treat him as one of the strangers who come and go in the hospital.”
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