After hearing the news about Mi Cai, I immediately snapped out of my trance and stared at Leyao’s phone. My previously calm mood quickly became turbulent again. The real central figure of this financial news story was Yan Zhuomei, who had announced that her biological daughter would soon join Xinlv Energy as an assistant director of the R&D department. The highlights of this news were twofold: the public learned for the first time that Yan Zhuomei had a daughter in China, and secondly, she had only given her daughter the position of an assistant director in a highly specialized department—R&D—where Mi Cai’s field of study clearly couldn’t meet the technical requirements. This move was puzzling and gave the public a lot of room for speculation.
In the news photo, Mi Cai wore a black business suit and a neat bun, sitting beside Yan Zhuomei. Her expression was heavy, showing no smile at all, clearly indicating that she found the current situation far from easy. Yan Zhuomei also appeared serious, as if telling all the public observers that allowing her daughter to start as an assistant director in the R&D department was neither a spontaneous decision nor a frivolous joke.
Leyao sighed, “It seems that the situation Mi Cai will face after going to the U.S. is not going to be easy at all! I originally thought Yan Zhuomei would at least give her a vice-president position, and after cultivating her for a year or two, she could fully take over. But now…this situation is truly shocking!”
After thinking for a long time, I still couldn’t make sense of it. After all, Weiran, an outsider, could access Xinlv Energy’s peripheral business, yet Mi Cai, Yan Zhuomei’s biological daughter, was merely an assistant in a department. Setting aside Mi Cai’s personal capabilities, she had previously had management experience in a group company. This arrangement was too unexpected.
But what was certain was that Mi Cai would not be enjoying an easy life in America. Like me, who was still in China, she would also have a long struggle ahead. Eventually, one day, Xinlv Energy would definitely be handed over to her, which was beyond doubt. Otherwise, everything Yan Zhuomei was doing now would be meaningless.
I drank the water in my cup and decided not to think about it anymore. I took out my phone and copied the news photo of Mi Cai into my photo album. This was the first time I had heard about Mi Cai since our parting, and I had no idea when the next time would be, after all, she was now just an assistant director in a department and wouldn’t easily appear on financial news.
Suddenly, I became very much looking forward to the press conference after reaching a cooperation with Zhang Yixi. Perhaps Mi Cai would notice it, and afterward, would she also save the news photos about me? She definitely would, because apart from this, we had no other way to know about each other. Our hearts were tied together! Longing would make us cherish every detail in the news, and we would feel sad, disappointed, but also excited and happy! Just like that backyard, where flowers and weeds coexisted, forming a colorful, independent world!
…
In the bar, Leyao and I were still sitting in our familiar spot from years ago. This spot had a pillar on the left and walls on the right and behind. The flashing lights circling the bar seemed unrelated to this area. Probably no one who liked noise and excitement would like this spot, but it was the place where Leyao and I could chat undisturbed.
I held a long-missed beer, tilted my head back, and took a big sip. As for Leyao, she was still leaning on the table, idly spinning her cocktail glass, not drinking, not speaking…
On the stage, a female singer had appeared at some point, softly singing the classic song “Like You.” The previously rowdy crowd had also immersed themselves in this atmosphere, listening while drinking… Finally, I smiled slightly at Leyao and said, “Laobing (the nickname of the bar owner) is getting better at business. He has mastered the rhythm of the bar perfectly, alternating between lively and quiet moments. This brief quiet interlude in the middle allows customers to catch their breath and enjoy a drink, which feels pretty good!” I said, then pinched the beer bottle again and took another sip.
Leyao, who had been indifferent to the bar, finally turned around to look, then took a sip of her cocktail and said, “Zhaoyang, I suddenly miss the days when we all used to play in the bar. Back then, CC could easily outshine any female singer in the bar with her singing skills, and Luoben’s talent in effortlessly mastering any musical instrument was also a well-known tale in the bar circle. It’s such a pity… Sigh! I still don’t know how those past times slipped away from us, and when did things change to what they are now!!”
I didn’t respond immediately, took another big sip of beer, and opened another bottle. At this moment, the bar owner, Laobing, came to our side. He brought us a fruit platter and some snacks, then sat with us for a while chatting. He said he hadn’t had the chance to talk to Leyao since she became famous, and he missed her very much, even lacking the courage to call her… After I cursed him with “poser,” he burst out laughing, drank a bottle of beer heartily, and couldn’t help reminiscing, because there would no longer be Luoben singing in this bar, nor CC coming to perform from time to time!
After Laobing left, Leyao and I continued to sit in silence. Finally, I couldn’t stand this state anymore and said, “CC is unreachable, but Luoben is still contactable. I’ll give him a call, and we can all have a few drinks over the phone.”
“Great idea…!”
I dialed Luoben’s number. He answered after a short while. The first thing I heard was the sound of wind and heavy breathing. At that moment, he seemed to be running in an open field. I asked him, “What are you doing?”
“I’m looking for a key.”
I paused for a moment, recalling his usual style, and realized the key he was looking for was probably one to unlock the shackles of his mind. He was now in the small village where Wei Manwen was staying, and I didn’t know what had happened to him in these days.
Luoben seemed to have stopped running. He asked again, “How is Jianwei doing?”
“She’s been transferred to a hospital in Shanghai and hasn’t shown any signs of waking up yet.”
This wasn’t good news, causing Luoben to fall into a brief silence. I heard the sound of a lighter, and he seemed to light a cigarette for himself before finally saying, “She will wake up. Heaven must give these women who have endured so much a way out!”
Jianwei corresponded to Wei Manwen, so the information implied in Luoben’s words was significant. I couldn’t help asking, “Did you meet Teacher Wei this time you went there?”
“Talk about something else. Don’t talk about this.”
“Hmm, actually, the reason I called you is to invite you to have a few drinks. Leyao and I are sitting in the bar right now, and it’s a bit boring drinking just the two of us!”
“Wait a minute, I’m going to buy some alcohol. I’ll call you back later!”
…
Luoben seemed to have vanished without a trace. Leyao and I sat in the bar for nearly an hour, but he didn’t return. Then I remembered there was no convenience store in that small village. If he wanted to buy alcohol, he had to cross a hill to the larger village nearby. I could almost see Luoben running, running in the night, until he collapsed…
The bar became noisy again, the heavy metal music stimulating people’s senses, making them instinctively sway their hips and nod their heads. Finally, Luoben sent us a video call request amid the crowd’s wild outbursts. I accepted his request and once again saw the small village behind him. Only a few lights were flickering, almost cut off from the outside world. It was already late at 9 PM there, while we, in the bustling city, were just beginning our night life.
Luoben bit off the cap of the beer bottle, gestured for us to drink, and then tilted his head back, pouring the beer into his mouth in his usual fierce manner. On him, we saw the same old emotions, which dragged both Leyao and me into the whirlpool of the past. We each drank the alcohol in our hands, each seeking a little bit of rare joy in the night to dispel our loneliness.
On this night, we commemorated the past in this special way. Neither Leyao nor I wanted Luoben to get too drunk, hoping he could stay sober for his last night in the small village. Tomorrow he would return to the U.S. He had indeed traveled thousands of miles to see Wei Manwen, but she had not given him the answer he wanted.
Luoben’s life was full of stories. Revered as the godfather of rock in the music industry, he had completely lost two women he loved in his personal life, making him seem like a tragedy. But this was the life of an artist. These unforgettable experiences would bring him more great works that spoke of the world, life, and love.
CC had also once been a woman full of artistic talent, but she finally chose a more stable path. She had already married and settled down. I couldn’t say she was happier than Luoben because of this. The difference between CC and Luoben was that one had reached an ending, while the other was still running on the road. Perhaps this was Luoben’s destiny, his inability to settle down in life and love being the source of his artistic sense. I hope he will bring better musical works and gain status and fame in the music industry after returning from the U.S., even though this process might make him feel lonely to the point of madness, it would still be worth it, at least knowing what his tomorrow looks like.
As for me, what did my tomorrow look like? I imagined in the dizziness of slight intoxication… but couldn’t give a definite answer, because my tomorrow wasn’t just mine alone, but was to be created together with that woman far away in the U.S. I didn’t know what surprises the future would bring me from her, or perhaps some unexpected sorrows!
…
At 10 o’clock, Leyao and I stood outside the bar. I asked her, “Where are you going next?”
“To a hotel to sleep for the night, then back to Beijing tomorrow… After that, the film will be shot in South Korea, and I won’t be able to come see you for a while!”
“Focus on your own career, and also, try to pay a little attention to Cao Gongzi’s feelings. If you keep coming to see me like this, he might feel uncomfortable.”
“Although we are husband and wife, we each have our own circles. To maintain this marriage, we must give each other the utmost trust. Our identities and family backgrounds make it really hard for us to uphold a pure love. So, as long as he doesn’t let his actions be exposed by the media, I can ignore them…” Leyao smiled again and said, “Don’t forget, he’s the famous Cao Gongzi. His life is destined to have many women, but only one wife, and I am his legal wife. That’s where I’m stronger than other women!”
“This… your mindset is wrong!”
“But I really can’t control him either, just like he can’t control me… Zhaoyang, please respect our lifestyle. In fact, so-called loyalty and devotion are just to make the other person happy. So even if I don’t have these now, I can still find happiness in my film career. What difference does it make whether he is devoted or not? At least I still have you and the rest of my friends and girls around me!”
“What about the promises he made to you before marriage?”
“These promises were meant for each other’s parents and friends to hear. Everyone just listens and that’s it… I really hope that you and Mi Cai can stick to the promises you made to each other, so that everyone can know that the word ‘promise’ hasn’t been made cheap by all sorts of temptations in reality!” After saying this, Leyao waved her hand at me, turned around, and walked toward the hotel across the street. I kept watching her back, unable to describe the taste in my heart.
The world seemed to be like this: for every person who gains benefits, there are as many who become sacrifices. Who could still expect Leyao and Cao Jinfei’s business marriage to achieve commercial purposes while also gaining a happy marriage!… In this marriage, the real beneficiaries are their families. Cao Jinfei is just a pitiful sacrifice. Behind his various affairs, there is probably a woman who deeply loves him but cannot be with him. Unfortunately: the world doesn’t know this! What people see are only his luxury mansions, expensive cars, various scandalous girlfriends, and his celebrity wife!
…
Compared to Suzhou, Shanghai is a completely nightless city. As someone accustomed to drifting, I arrived here by high-speed rail at 11 p.m. I went to the hospital where Jianwei was currently receiving treatment. I gently pushed open the door to her ward. The first thing I saw was still the quiet Jianwei, whose stillness brought heartache. Yan Yan, her dear friend, was still by her bedside, never leaving her side. But she was too tired, sleeping with her head leaning on Qin Yan’s shoulder. Not only that, I also saw their hands intertwined… They had truly fallen in love during this time of shared hardship!!
Although my movements were very light, Yan Yan still woke up. She asked groggily, “Zhaoyang, why did you come? It’s already very late!”
“I just wanted to come and see. Tomorrow I also need to return to Xuzhou. It doesn’t make much difference whether I go back from Shanghai or Suzhou.” I replied, looking at the hands she and Qin Yan were holding.
Yan Yan followed my gaze and looked down, instinctively wanting to pull her hand back, but Qin Yan held it tighter. Although Yan Yan had experienced much in life, she still lowered her head, somewhat embarrassed and shy…
Qin Yan said to me like making a military pledge, “Brother Zhaoyang, Yan Yan and I have already decided to be together. We’ve made a promise that when Jianwei wakes up, that will be the day we hold our wedding!… I really like her, like her loyalty and righteousness, like her beauty and capability. I hope all of you friends can recognize our love and give us your most sincere blessings!”
I looked at Yan Yan, and she finally nodded… acknowledging the agreement to get married after Jianwei wakes up. It wasn’t just Qin Yan’s one-sided wish; it was a decision they had discussed together!
I didn’t immediately offer some words of blessing, just looking out the window. I had witnessed her nearly eight-year emotional journey with Fang Yuan all the way. At this moment, she had already taken someone else’s hand and made another marriage promise… I really wanted to know how Fang Yuan would feel upon hearing this. He would surely be hurt, but compared to the fame and fortune he pursued, this little pain was nothing… This was his nature! Brothers and women must all give way to his pursuit of fame and fortune, and the fire of desire had never extinguished in his heart!
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