Chen Jingming had already left with Mi Cai’s assistant. I put Mi Cai’s staff ID card into my pocket and began directing the on-site staff to complete the final preparations. At this moment, a large-scale stage had already been set up.
With a single command, all the stage lights suddenly turned on, projecting white doves and flowers that created a dreamlike effect on the stage. The scene then switched to a coastal setting, where the sound of tides and the vastness and blueness of the ocean instantly enveloped the massive Zhuo Mei shopping mall, capturing everyone’s attention as they paused to watch this 360-degree panoramic stage… The scene changed again, shifting to a rural Irish landscape. A horse-drawn cart piled high with hay slowly traveled along a country road lined with white fences. A wandering singer sat on a hay bale, singing a country ballad…
I carefully monitored every visual and audio detail. Once I confirmed that the desired effects were achieved, I finally clapped my hands to encourage the staff and signaled that today’s work could end. Immediately, an automatic rising curtain descended onto the stage, and the surrounding customers, still captivated, began applauding. Some had already captured footage of our test performance and were sharing it with others, reminiscing about the spectacle… This convinced me that the stage, which had cost a significant amount to set up, would surprise Leyao tomorrow. It was a wedding gift from me, her friend, in gratitude for her wholehearted support.
At this moment, Jian Wei finally arrived beside me, carrying two cups of hot tea and handing one to me. She asked, “Have you already tested the stage effects?”
“Yeah, the effects are pretty good, just as we imagined.”
“During such an important moment, you actually sent me to buy hot tea on purpose, didn’t you?” Jian Wei glared at me with her hands on her hips.
“You really look like a domineering female CEO from a TV drama right now!… Tell me, these staff members have worked hard all day. If we finish testing the effects early, they can rest early. Could I possibly delay them?”
Jian Wei lowered her hands from her waist. “Sorry, I was wrong.”
“Wrong about what?”
“I shouldn’t have been so capricious.”
As Jian Wei spoke, we exchanged smiles. I wasn’t truly scolding her, nor was she genuinely admitting fault for this minor misstep. It was just a joke between us, representing how close and familiar we were with each other.
I drank half of the hot tea in my hands and finished the roasted sweet potato, preparing to rest in Mi Cai’s office for a while, waiting for the arrival of midnight. I then asked Jian Wei beside me, “It’s still early for midnight. I’m going to rest for a bit. Want to come with me?”
“Where are you going to rest?”
“Mi Cai’s office…” I said and suddenly stopped, realizing something was off.
Jian Wei instantly understood, smiled, and said, “That might not be appropriate. I’ll just book a day-use room at a nearby hotel.”
“All the nearby hotels are fully booked!”
“Then I’ll rest in my car for a while.”
“Forget it. I’ll call Fang Yuan to arrange a place for you to rest.” Saying this, I dialed Fang Yuan’s number before Jian Wei could refuse.
Moments later, Fang Yuan came down in the elevator and hurried over to where Jian Wei and I were standing. He said, “Come on, I’ll take you both to the staff lounge to rest.”
“Take her only. Zhao Yang doesn’t need to come.”
Fang Yuan glanced at the specially marked staff ID card in my hand and immediately understood. Without saying much, he led the way for both of us toward the staff-only elevator. This night, he was destined to be the busiest person at Zhuo Mei.
Midway, he said to Jian Wei and me, “Although the event hasn’t officially started yet, the current performance has been very promising. According to feedback from the operations department, yesterday and today alone, the recharge amount from some VIP clients has reached over 30 million yuan. This figure is already on par with the sales figures around Christmas in previous years, surpassing our competitor, Poly Department Store!”
“Yeah, this revenue is only from VIP clients. There are also many individual customers from Suzhou and the surrounding counties. Their volume is also substantial. I believe this event’s sales will easily exceed 100 million yuan.”
Fang Yuan smiled and said, “It might even be more than that. Don’t forget about our gold-tier clients who have reserved spots for the shopping wine tasting event. Their purchasing power is truly astonishing!”
I responded with a smile to Fang Yuan, “Then let’s wait and see.”
Jian Wei, who had been leaning on the elevator handrail without speaking, finally opened her mouth, “After an explosive sales period, there will inevitably be consumer overspending. At that point, we should be ready with targeted responses.”
Fang Yuan nodded, “General Manager Jian is absolutely right. Still, on behalf of Zhuo Mei, I’d like to express my gratitude to you and General Manager Zhao for your strong support.”
Jian Wei replied, “You don’t need to thank me. Our company and Zhuo Mei have a normal business transaction. Zhao Yang is the one who’s giving without expecting anything in return. You should thank him.”
…
During the conversation, I reached Mi Cai’s office before Jian Wei. Using her staff ID card to open the door, I temporarily said goodbye to Jian Wei and Fang Yuan. Jian Wei instinctively glanced into Mi Cai’s office before continuing forward with Fang Yuan.
I closed the office door but didn’t immediately lie down on the soft sofa. Instead, I sat on the office chair where Mi Cai and I had shared countless intimate moments. I repeatedly opened and closed the drawers, searching for fun little trinkets inside.
I found the selfies Mi Cai had left inside. Leisurely lighting a cigarette, I held it up close and looked at each photo one by one… Memories of those fragmented moments and scenes came flooding back. It’s been over a year since we met. It’s not short, but not particularly long either. Therefore, I still remember clearly how shamelessly I had occupied her apartment back then, refusing to leave, and how I had done countless unreliable things that made her dislike me. Yet, all of this couldn’t stop the seemingly predestined connection between us. Today, she had actually become my girlfriend. Thinking back on it, I was afraid that everything had only been a dream filled with unexpected twists and coincidences.
I finally took the initiative to call her again. I wanted to chat with her briefly before resting. Expecting to wait, she answered my call immediately. Before she could greet me, I spoke first, “Guess where I am now?”
“Your office…”
I was shocked, “Demoness, do you have supernatural vision or hearing?”
Mi Cai seemed to have already gotten used to my dramatic manner and replied with a smile, “Knowing you’re tired, I asked Chen Assistant to give you my staff ID card so you could rest in my office for a while.”
“Oh, so it was your arrangement.” I said in a flat tone, yet my heart felt warm because of her care.
“Rest quickly, and don’t go rummaging through my drawer stuff, understand?”
I complained, “If you have so many instructions for me, why didn’t you call me first?”
“I was afraid you were busy with important work.”
“Oh.” I responded simply, yet I didn’t want to waste this precious conversation time discussing work matters. I asked the question I had cared about all along, “…When will you come back? Please give me an exact timeframe, okay?… Not knowing when you’ll return has been the most agonizing thing in the world!”
After a moment of silence, Mi Cai replied, “Sometime after New Year’s Day. It’s soon.”
I couldn’t help but feel ecstatic. According to Mi Cai’s words, we might be able to meet again in just over a week. I said, “Hurry up and give me a specific day to return.”
“If I do that, the surprise will be less, won’t it?”
I imagined her with long hair cascading over her shoulders, dragging her suitcase, wearing all white clothes, suddenly appearing before me without any warning. There probably couldn’t be a more breathtaking scene than that. For this unexpected surprise and the happiness it brings, even an indefinite wait suddenly became meaningful. So I replied to Mi Cai, “Okay, no need for a specific day, but you must come back to meet me in the way I’m most looking forward to…”
“And then what?”
“Then we’ll go to the square to play car racing… Haha, you probably don’t know yet, but I recently got bored and installed 100,000 RPM engines in both cars. They run even more aggressively now. The sound of the engines is absolutely violent!!”
In contrast to my uncontrollable excitement, Mi Cai on the other end of the line was very quiet. I seemed to have unintentionally touched her emotions again… In her silence, I finally remembered after a long while that the car and the square carried many beautiful memories for us. She was now reminiscing and feeling helpless. We had been separated for so long that we no longer had the opportunity to do something so simple yet joyful together. And now, she was living in extreme agony, but she was unwilling to say so…
I finally whispered to her, “When you come back… if you’re still willing, I can continue to tease you and make you angry!”
“Sometimes, teasing, getting angry, and even our quarrels are also a kind of happiness!”
…
After ending the call with Mi Cai, I lay back on her office chair. As soon as I closed my eyes, it seemed as if her presence filled the space around me. I knew that in this office, she had experienced fatigue, helplessness, and even cried for me… This was the place she had spent the most time in since returning to Suzhou, yet I had never had the chance to come here to reminisce about her emotions. Therefore, I cherished this opportunity especially, not even wanting to fall asleep. I was willing to sit here, letting my mind be filled with her presence…
I felt a bit smug because I had finally learned: after this Christmas, perhaps after I attend Li Xiaoyun’s wedding, she would really come back. If everything went smoothly, it would be time to prepare for our wedding. Then we would etch each other’s names onto our marriage certificate. This year, we would be 27 years old—getting married neither too early nor too late!
Soon, the two hours of rest time passed quickly. In a daze, the mall’s public address system began to sound, and at the same time, the clock tower on the rooftop rang out the twelve o’clock chime…
The chimes gradually faded away. It was now past twelve o’clock. The Zhuo Mei shopping carnival officially kicked off at this moment. I could almost see the fates of many people gradually transforming amidst the bustling shopping crowds.
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