I was sitting on the sofa with Luo Ben, sipping on the Sancha pear soup that Mi Cai had brought. Mi Cai herself was sitting on my office chair, going through some documents she had brought along, her brows tightly furrowed, probably facing some sort of trouble again. However, it wasn’t quite convenient for me to ask her about it at this moment.
Luo Ben only drank half of the soup before placing the bowl on the coffee table, then lit a cigarette. It seemed as though drinking that lung-nourishing soup was merely to prolong his life so he could smoke a few more cigarettes. This annoyed Mi Cai, who gave him a resentful look. Indeed, the smoke in the office was quite heavy at this point, which was torture for Mi Cai, but Luo Ben didn’t seem to care, continuing to smoke as he pleased.
Not wanting him to remain stuck in the emotional aftermath of Wei Manwen’s departure, I changed the subject and asked, “Any work plans recently?”
“There’s still a concert in Shanghai before the Lunar New Year.”
“Try to calm yourself down. Don’t neglect your work, and smoke less. The concert is coming up soon—you should protect your voice.”
Luo Ben ignored my advice, instead glancing at Mi Cai, extinguishing his cigarette in the ashtray, and saying, “Call your assistant to bring the girl over. We’re leaving.”
When Luo Ben mentioned the girl, a wave of sadness washed over me. It seemed like everyone who could take care of her had already left, leaving her to follow Luo Ben, a man with questionable living habits. Although I really wanted to take her in, Mi Cai and I were simply too busy to manage it.
…
Luo Ben had already left with the girl, leaving only Mi Cai and me in the office. She asked me, “What’s going on with Luo Ben?”
“This is a bit complicated. Let me tell you when we get home.”
Mi Cai nodded and began tidying up my desk, preparing to leave. Meanwhile, I was already thinking about where we could grab something to eat. It was getting late, and we hadn’t had dinner yet.
Without any warning, the office door suddenly swung open, and Jian Wei stood before us. She was holding a convenient plastic bag containing a transparent food container filled with steaming hot porridge. Yet the atmosphere had instantly frozen—Jian Wei had become an unwelcome guest.
A complex expression flickered across Jian Wei’s face. She gave an awkward smile and said, “Sorry, I came in a bit impulsively… I just happened to pass by downstairs and noticed his office light was still on, so I brought him some night snacks.” She lifted the plastic bag in her hand, shrugged her shoulders, and added, “Didn’t know that General Mi was already back… Seems like it’s not needed now.”
Even though I knew Jian Wei was telling the truth, I still wished she had said she came to pick up some documents or discuss work plans, and that the night snacks were for herself, so I wouldn’t feel this awkward and at a loss now.
Looking at Jian Wei, Mi Cai said to me, “Zhaoyang, you haven’t eaten yet. Would you like to try the night snacks that General Jian brought?”
Mi Cai, a woman who had fought her way through the business world, never spoke too directly nor lost her composure in public. Yet I could sense the emotional undertone in her words, making me feel unprepared to handle the current situation—no matter how I responded, it seemed inappropriate.
Jian Wei placed the night snacks on the coffee table and said, “Zhaoyang, deciding whether to taste the night snacks isn’t such a difficult choice. I still have something to take care of, so I’ll leave the snacks here. Whether you eat them or not, don’t feel pressured.”
Jian Wei left just like that, leaving behind this emotional burden. I could already sense the trouble I was about to face from Mi Cai’s gaze.
After a long silence, I finally said to her, “Since she bought it, let’s not waste it. Let’s eat it together, okay?… It’s just a snack!”
Tears welled up in Mi Cai’s eyes. “During the time I was away, how many times did she bring you night snacks like this? And what did you two talk about in this office?”
At that moment, I saw a sensitive and fragile side in her eyes. I understood that after a woman gives herself to a man for the first time, her emotions can undergo dramatic changes, and she becomes especially intolerant of any emotional impurities.
My heart ached. I tightly held her hand and said, “Nothing ever happened between us. She occasionally brought me some night snacks, and we only talked about work… Please believe me, okay?… I swear I would never be a man who plays around with two women at once. I swear, she and I are completely in the past… Now, I only love you, and I will only ever love you in the future!!”
Mi Cai seemed to be making a great effort to control her emotions. I wiped the tears from her eyes and pulled her tightly into my arms, not giving her space to overthink. Each of her tears burned my heart, making me fear that I might not be the kind of man who could bring her happiness.
Mi Cai whispered softly, “I’m sorry. The pressure from work has made me overly sensitive and suspicious. I should trust you. I should believe that you are the man I can entrust my life to.”
“Mm…” I nodded heavily. Once again, the thought of leaving this company surged in my heart. However, at this moment, I could no longer extricate myself. I bore the responsibility for this company and the trust of many employees. Moreover, that “cultural and artistic path” was something I could not abandon—it was a path I had forged with my own efforts and dreams, and my soul had already fused with it.
Mi Cai pulled away from my embrace and walked over to the coffee table, picking up the food container left by Jian Wei. She looked at it and said, “It’s the yam and red date porridge I like. Let’s take it home and heat it up. It looks pretty good!”
Watching her force a smile to ease my burden, my heart ached again. Yet I understood in my heart that these complex emotions were an inevitable part of experiencing love. They showed that we loved each other with sincerity, not treating each other’s joys and sorrows lightly. Therefore, her happiness and sadness were deeply connected to me, stirring my emotions.
…
When we got home, we didn’t mention the incident with the night snacks anymore. Instead, we talked about Luo Ben. I told Mi Cai the whole story of Wei Manwen returning to the small village, and also told her about Luo Ben’s feelings for CC. Finally, I emphasized again that Luo Ben and I were two independent individuals, and that whatever he was going through would never happen to me.
After listening to my story, Mi Cai appeared very calm, only expressing sorrow for CC’s departure. Unfortunately, while we were talking about their story, we didn’t know whether CC, if she had learned of Wei Manwen’s feelings, would have fought for her own happiness one more time. We also didn’t know where CC was now—whether she was still traveling, or had already settled down in a city, starting a new life. But she would definitely be happy for me and Mi Cai, and she would always silently wish us well—that was her promise to me!!
I hope she is doing well now… and that years from now, we will still have the chance to drink together, sing together, and talk about the experiences of these years!
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