From the time I got off work in the evening until half past midnight, I had not eaten anything. The only thing I bought, some rice noodles and a marinated egg, had been thrown away by Jian Wei in a fit of anger. So, tormented by hunger, I turned to Mi Cai and asked, “Are you tired? If not, come with me and have something to eat, okay?”
“You haven’t had dinner yet?”
“Not yet. Haven’t had time.”
“Then let’s eat at the hotel.”
I shook my head and said, “I heard there’s a centuries-old teahouse on Dongguan Street in Yangzhou that’s open twenty-four hours. I want to try it out. It’s close, we can walk there.”
“Hmm, now you’ve made me curious too, I want to taste it as well.”
…
Even in winter, Yangzhou’s nights are enchanting and vibrant. It seemed like a delicate city wrapped in light and clear water, freely exuding its charm, stirring up tenderness in passing travelers, making them wish to merge into its glow and rippling waters. So Mi Cai and I walked slowly. She kept her hand on the riverside railing, gently tapping it while walking beside me.
I asked, “Doesn’t it get dirty having your hand on the railing like that?”
“I think it’s fun!”
I smiled helplessly and replied, “Then let me do something more exciting.” I climbed onto the railing, stretched my arms out like walking a tightrope, and teasingly raised my eyebrows at her, asking, “You dare to play this too?”
Mi Cai ignored me, still following my steps, tapping her hand on the railing, as though counting the number of pillars along it.
My boredom started acting up again. I stopped and mockingly said, “Aren’t you always so stubborn and argumentative with me? Now that I’m looking down at you like this, don’t you feel upset? If you’ve got the guts, come up here and let’s fight it out.”
Mi Cai frowned, suddenly grabbing my ankle and saying, “Keep talking nonsense and I’ll push you down.”
I looked at the pitch-black lake surface and quickly panicked, saying, “Don’t push me, please have mercy… My legs are shaking already!”
“Still going to talk nonsense?”
“Oh please, mercy, let me off this time. I won’t dare to talk nonsense again!”
“Sing me a song, and I’ll let you go.”
“What song?”
Mi Cai thought for a moment and said, “Sing ‘Tant忑’—hurry up and sing!”
At this moment, I was so anxious I wanted to die, not caring about the image of masculine dignity and defiance anymore. I quickly sang, “Ah oh, ah oh ei, ah si ah si, ah si ge ge, ah si ah si ge, ah oh, ah oh ei…”
“Move your hands like Teacher Gao Linna does, and make your eyes expressive.”
“Damn it!”
Mi Cai remained unmoved, “Hurry up, or I’ll push you down.”
So, between the clear waters and willow-lined banks, I abandoned the image of dignified masculinity I had painstakingly built. I gestured awkwardly while singing this legendary song, “Tant忑,” while Mi Cai tried hard to suppress her laughter, watching my clumsy performance…
But suddenly, my mood changed drastically under her smile. My heart was no longer anxious or angry, willingly singing and gesturing just to see her smile, turning my unagile eyes…
After I sang the last note, Mi Cai finally couldn’t hold it in anymore and burst into laughter. She let go of my ankle and ran off, fearing I would catch her and retaliate with even more “cruel” methods…
I jumped down from the railing, used my legs like a horse’s hooves, scraped the ground a few times, not knowing if I kicked up any dust or created enough momentum, then sprinted after her.
Eventually, she was only a woman, and after a few steps, I caught her. I wrapped my arms around her from behind, lifting her up with a scream, and then placed her on the railing. I blocked her with my body so she couldn’t get down, and with a stern face asked, “Did you enjoy that just now?”
Mi Cai cautiously nodded…
“So, do you think I should get my revenge? After all, I’m someone who likes to retaliate tit for tat!”
“What do you want to do?”
I rubbed my chin and replied, “Miss, you’re quite pretty. I want to harass you a bit, please cooperate… I’m really agitated!”
“Go away… I’ll scream.”
“It’s a moonless and windy night. Scream all you want… Even if you scream your lungs out, no police officer will come to save you!”
“People in Yangzhou are creating a civilized city. This is a serious violation, you know? The consequences will be severe!”
“Don’t try to pressure me psychologically… Let me tell you, when you forced me to sing ‘Tant忑,’ I already felt there was nothing I wouldn’t dare to do!”
“I’m sorry… Maybe I can sing ‘Tant忑’ for you too!”
“I don’t have your weird taste, I don’t want to listen… Quickly show some awareness of being the victim, close your eyes, and let me harass you… We still need to hurry to have our late-night snack after this!”
The joke ended here. I tightly embraced her, and without waiting for her to close her eyes, I removed her mask and kissed her passionately… In her intoxicating embrace, I believed that even if we were mercilessly ravaged by time, moments like this would bloom like colorful flowers in our hearts, accompanying us all the way to the end of our lives.
…
The next morning, I woke up before Mi Cai to the vibration of my phone. Rubbing my sleepy eyes, I picked up the phone from the cabinet but found no message notifications. I then picked up Mi Cai’s phone, swiped the screen, and found she had received an email.
Although it was Mi Cai’s privacy, I couldn’t help my curiosity and opened it to look… My scalp tingled. The email was from Mi Cai’s former work team in the United States… Zhuo Mei’s IPO had failed!
Looking at the official explanation for the failed IPO in the email, my heart felt increasingly choked up. After calming myself for a long time, I looked at Mi Cai, who was still asleep beside me. Months of hard work had ultimately failed. Even though I had mentally prepared myself beforehand, I still felt a deep sense of loss and defeat. I couldn’t imagine how Mi Cai, as the person directly involved, would face this cruel news.
Holding her phone, I quietly got out of bed without making any noise and stood on the balcony, lighting my first cigarette of the day. A sense of helplessness surged within me. Yet the world had always been like this—it constantly created various troubles for us, making us feel lost, struggle, and live with a sense of failure…
But indeed, through these troubles, we became stronger and gained a deeper understanding of the meaning of life…
I didn’t know what the failure of Zhuo Mei’s IPO would bring to Mi Cai’s future, but I would definitely use my life experiences to comfort her, continue to support her as always, and accompany her through the dark days ahead.
She wouldn’t be helpless, nor would she be lonely… I promise!
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