After ending the call with An Qi, I closed my eyes and sat beside Jian Wei in a depressed state, not knowing where to go. It was only at this moment that I realized why I hadn’t heard from Mi Cai for such a long time. It turned out she had not been working at the group company for quite a while, and there must be some unknown reasons behind this. However, her whereabouts had become a mystery, at least for now, I had absolutely no way of knowing what had happened to her during this period.
When I opened my eyes again, Jian Wei beside me had closed her eyes. It turned out that the summer wind could also blow with the tenderness of spring. She was enjoying this comfort and gradually fell into an infant-like sleep. At this moment, I truly envied her for being able to completely transform herself and change her life in a way that none of us had anticipated.
Perhaps, she really shouldn’t remember those dark days of the past, nor should she remember those people who had once made her sad, confused, and desperate…
I somewhat didn’t want to leave this sunny and tranquil sanatorium. Feeling exhausted, I wanted to accompany the flowers, plants, and trees here, so I lay down on the lawn, looking up at the deep blue sky, yet I was unable to fall asleep… At this moment, for the first time, I felt myself slowly aging because I mistakenly believed that I had been waiting for Mi Cai for many years. I had lost my way and failed to keep my promise of never worrying about anything… But truly, I missed her, longing for her under a small patch of tree shade. Would she know this?
It was already time for a meal when Qin Yan arrived at the sanatorium driving with Yan Yan. Thoughtfully, Qin Yan had prepared dishes that Jian Wei liked. They took out a tablecloth from the car and decided to enjoy their lunch as an open-air picnic under the tree next to Jian Wei.
We reserved the shadiest spot for Jian Wei. After Yan Yan had distributed the bowls and chopsticks, the four of us started eating. At this moment, we had already moved past the shadows of Jian Wei’s previous coma, and life was gradually returning to its normal rhythm. Based on this, I asked Yan Yan, “What are your plans for the future? Will you stay in Suzhou or go with Qin Yan to Zhenjiang?”
Yan Yan smiled and replied, “Qin Yan and I have discussed it. We’ll stay in Suzhou for the next few years. Compared to Zhenjiang, Suzhou is more livable, and my network of contacts is concentrated here. It will be more convenient for us to start our own business.”
Yan Yan emphasized her desire to start her own business, and I understood her intention. She didn’t want to be someone who merely enjoys the fruits of others’ labor, even though Qin Yan’s family was quite well-off. Of course, I also understood her concerns. After marrying Qin Yan, she would become a remarried woman. Only by being independent could she gain respect within the family. Although Qin Yan loved her and could overlook her past, his family would likely have some opinions about their marriage, thinking that Qin Yan was getting the worse end of the deal. Therefore, she had a lot to prove, at least to show that she wasn’t marrying him for his family’s wealth.
I said to her, “Jian Wei’s advertising company has already become well-established and is now being managed by General Manager Chen Jingming. He’s really been working hard, also juggling the “Artistic Path” project and my game company. If you’re confident enough in your current state, you could replace General Chen and help relieve some of his pressure!”
Yan Yan nodded, “I can give it a try.”
“Yeah, you can definitely do it!” I said, then turned to Qin Yan and asked, “What about you? What are your plans?”
“Brother Yang, I was just about to talk to you about this!… I want to open a themed coffee shop in Suzhou. It’s a business I’m really passionate about, but I don’t have much capital, and it’s not convenient for me to ask my family for help. So I’m hoping you can assist me with this…”
I didn’t immediately give Qin Yan a definite answer. I smiled and said, “Opening a coffee shop in Suzhou isn’t a small investment. You must come up with a business plan that impresses me. That’s the premise of my support. Can you do that?”
“No problem, I’ll prepare it carefully, including the business plan for you.”
I nodded and said seriously, “You should know better than anyone else how many distinctive coffee shops there are on our ‘Artistic Path.’ I’m already quite tired of them, so it won’t be easy to impress me!”
Suddenly becoming less accommodating, I surprised Qin Yan, as in the past I would have readily agreed to this. Now, however, I was treating my close friends more like a businessman, and Yan Yan understood my good intentions, seeing this seriousness as a sign of my gradual maturity. She gave me a thumbs-up from a spot where Qin Yan couldn’t see.
…
In the afternoon, Cao Jinfei arrived in Suzhou as we had agreed the previous night. I met him in a teahouse near our company. As soon as we sat down, he started complaining about my behavior in the game, using the character Xiong Yidao to tease him. After a deep “self-reflection,” I got to the point and asked him, “Brother Jinfei, can you really help me with this?”
After a moment of contemplation, Cao Jinfei replied, “Alright, I’ll issue a statement announcing the sale of this account and secretly give it to your company. After that, how you use this account for targeted event marketing is none of my concern. This way, it’ll also be an explanation to Mr. Sun of Longyou Tianxia.”
“Brother Jinfei, our company can buy the account from you for operation, but you can’t issue the statement. Once you do, the effect of our event marketing will be greatly reduced. It also gives our competitors a chance to recover. They might accuse us of using this account for malicious marketing. I can’t take such a big risk… Brother Jinfei, let me tell you, whether or not you issue the statement isn’t really that important. Think about it, even if Mr. Sun asks you about it later, you can say that your account was transferred long ago, and any events that happen afterward are the actions of the new buyer, which have nothing to do with you. That’s a good excuse!”
Cao Jinfei looked troubled again. He replied, “Considering the influence of my account in the game and my personal relationship with Mr. Sun, even if I don’t issue a statement, I should at least inform Mr. Sun beforehand if I decide to transfer it…”
I realized that Cao Jinfei was actually a meticulous person who cared about cause and effect, and he didn’t have much of the recklessness and disregard for consequences often seen in rich kids. Of course, I was indeed putting him in a difficult position with this matter. However, if he did inform Longyou Tianxia beforehand, the development of events might not go as he expected. Longyou Tianxia might prefer to buy back this highly influential account themselves, and when necessary, they might even freeze the account rather than let Cao Jinfei transfer it. After all, they already knew that our game was about to launch, and any slight movement would raise their alertness. I thought that Mr. Sun from their side must also know about my private relationship with Cao Jinfei because Leyao’s popularity was indeed too high, and both I and Cao Jinfei were closely related to her—one being her good friend and the other her husband. This would easily lead others to make associations.
I continued, “Brother Jinfei, I know you’re in a difficult position, but I still earnestly ask you to help our company with this matter. Although I don’t know how to thank you, I am very sincere. I’ve already instructed our game development department to name a map in the game after you, hoping that you will switch to our game…”
Cao Jinfei smiled bitterly and said, “Zhaoyang, you really leave me no room at all!… I think I finally understand. Between you and Mr. Sun, I have to offend one of you, or this matter won’t be resolved…”
I half-jokingly and half-seriously said, “Brother Jinfei, you mustn’t offend me… I may look rough on the outside, but I have a fragile heart that can’t take any damage!”
Finally, Cao Jinfei seemed to make up his mind and replied, “I once told Leyao that I would go through fire and water for her, but she didn’t believe me… I think if this situation happened to Leyao, she would offend everyone in the world just to get things done for you… As her husband, now that you’re asking me for this favor, I’m not afraid of offending a few people. I, Cao Jinfei, am willing to stand by my wife through thick and thin!”
Hearing Cao Jinfei’s heartfelt words, I could only say “Thanks” after a moment of silence… Then, as I continued to look out the window at the scorching afternoon that made people feel dizzy, I saw a hot wind blowing between two trees… This distance included the present and future after my acquaintance with Leyao… Suddenly, I desperately needed a heavy rain to drench my world, and then return the post-rain sunshine to Cao Jinfei, the man who was willing to stand by Leyao through thick and thin.
Cao Jinfei then smiled and said to me in my silence, “Zhaoyang, it shouldn’t be just you making requests of me. I also have a small request for your company’s game.”
“Go ahead, I’ll definitely fulfill it.”
“You just mentioned naming a map in the game after me. I hope there will also be a map named after Leyao… uh… her father’s surname is Xiao, so maybe name it after her original name, Xiao Yao. That would be more low-key.”
Being low-key was probably not Cao Jinfei’s main intention. He more likely wished that the woman he now possessed was the one known as Xiao Yao, because back when Leyao was still called Xiao Yao, there was no man named Zhaoyang in her life…
I finally nodded and replied, “Alright, we’ll add two maps. One will be called Jinfei Valley, and the other will be called Xiaoyao Pond. Does that work for you?”
“Perfect! I’m very satisfied!”
…
After finalizing the details with Cao Jinfei, I returned to the company and held a six-hour meeting with the marketing department, during which we determined the game’s promotion strategy. At this point, I had already devised an event marketing plan that would deliver a fatal blow to “Longyou Tianxia,” and I was just waiting for the right opportunity.
After work, I brought home some wild walnuts I had arranged to purchase, made a fish head soup, and then delivered it to the sanatorium. This was the best soup for nourishing the brain.
It was already late at night, and the sanatorium, located in the suburbs, was extremely quiet, with only the sounds of insects in the lawn representing the wonders of nature. As I looked around, I saw that the light was still on in Jian Wei’s room, indicating she hadn’t gone to sleep yet.
I quickened my pace, wanting Jian Wei to drink the soup while it was still hot, when my phone vibrated in my hand. I looked at it, and it was a call from An Qi. At this moment, it was deep night in China but morning in the United States. I assumed An Qi would bring me the news I had been waiting for. Perhaps now, she and Mi Cai, the two good friends, were already talking about me, Zhao Yang, in some teahouse restaurant in Los Angeles… Haha, how wonderful that would be!
I hurriedly answered the call…
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