I arrived at the minivan with the woman in red. My assistant opened the door for us. Inside the vehicle, including the maid, there were no more than five people, so there were still a few empty seats. I sat in the back row with the woman in red. Leyao and Cao Jinfie sat in front of us. Since they were not very familiar with the woman in red, I introduced, “This is my friend, Angela from Tianyang Group,” and then turned to the woman in red, saying, “These are Leyao and Cao Jinfie. They are getting married soon.”
Although the three had never met face-to-face before, they were all well-known within their circles. They exchanged a few polite greetings like “long time hearing about you,” and that was considered a proper introduction. Then, they all looked out the window, watching the dazzlingly lit Zhuomei, a place now filled only with the atmosphere of luxury shopping and consumer desire.
Leyao gazed at the “sky palace,” built at great expense with glass, and sighed, “I wonder how many celebrities from all walks of life will lose themselves in this consumption trap tomorrow night?… Zhaoyang, you’re truly a genius at being a profiteer!”
“With such a big wealth gap in society, helping Zhuomei earn money from those celebrities doesn’t seem to ease social tensions to a certain extent? Moreover, so-called celebrities only like to spend the wealth they possess in places full of gimmicks and occasions that can prove their personal value… I don’t think I’m a profiteer; I’m simply catering to their consumer demands.”
“You always use the same trick! Can you find a different way to get their money out of their pockets next time?”
“Without offering items equivalent to their status as compensation, it’s impossible to get their money from them!”
Cao Jinfie picked up the conversation, saying, “I don’t think so… Upper society also has several levels. For example, Angela from Tianyang Group, would she be interested in attending your celebrity gathering? This event is only prepared for those pseudo-celebrities still on their way up. They desperately need such events to realize their own value… Real celebrities won’t attend such events and lower their own standards.”
I looked at Cao Jinfie and smiled, saying, “It seems Cao Jinfie really understands the unwritten rules of the celebrity circle!”
“If Zhaoyang is interested, I can accompany you into the real celebrity circle.”
The woman in red joined the conversation, saying, “Although this is not a truly significant celebrity gathering, it accurately captures this group’s consumer characteristics and psychology. Personally, I think it will be a successful event.”
I didn’t say anything, but I had already made a judgment. Cao Jinfie lived for social circles and positions, while the woman in red lived for the broader commercial picture. Therefore, from different perspectives, they had completely different evaluations of this event. Previously, there were rumors that Cao Jinfie was a playboy uninterested in the family business, and it seemed those rumors were not unfounded after all.
Leyao glared at Cao Jinfie and said, “Is it about taking mistresses to Dubai to indulge, where spending tens of millions is the only way to be considered a high-end celebrity?”
Cao Jinfie quickly replied, “You misunderstood my meaning… Actually, we are quite simple. When I said I could accompany Zhaoyang into the real celebrity circle, I actually meant I had invited several friends from my circle to conquer Mount Everest under the name of our charity foundation. As long as we return safely, each of us will contribute ten million to this charity to help the socially disadvantaged. I think: doing charity through extreme survival challenges will truly help us understand the meaning of charity!”
After hearing Cao Jinfie’s explanation, I couldn’t help but look at him in a new light, but I still smiled and said, “Even if I go with you, I can’t afford to donate ten million to charity. It would be more reasonable for Angela to go with you!”
The woman in red quickly said, “Actually, I don’t have such a high level of commitment to do such a dangerous thing!… It seems there has always been a misunderstanding about Young Master Cao. I didn’t expect you to be planning such a great idea!”
Leyao squinted at Cao Jinfie and said, “Do you want me to buy you an accident insurance policy?”
Cao Jinfie didn’t respond…
Leyao pinched his arm hard and said again, “Who allowed you to do such a dangerous thing? Please be responsible for my second half of life!… Don’t make me feel that your spiritual realm is too high, and I’m not worthy of you!”
Cao Jinfie was very accommodating to Leyao. Although she pinched his arm with real force, he still wore a smile and apologized to her, promising to think carefully about this matter. Only then did Leyao stop, but her eyes were full of admiration for Cao Jinfie. At this moment, I knew she was gradually falling in love with him.
I took out the wedding plan for tomorrow from my briefcase and handed it to the two of them, saying, “Take a look at this plan. Just remember the key parts. Later, I will take you through the venue to get familiar with it, then we can have dinner together, and then you can go back to the hotel to rest.”
Cao Jinfie flipped through the plan, while Leyao said, “I forgot to inform you, we’ve already bought a house in Suzhou, so we don’t need a hotel room anymore.”
Only then did I remember: this couple had such a background, and Leyao had always said Suzhou was her second hometown. Since they were getting married in Suzhou, how could Cao Jinfie not prepare a luxurious villa for her!… It was just a pity that we had spent a lot of money booking a presidential suite. But thinking again, it might be better to offer the suite to the woman in red as a gift, which would still realize the value of the presidential suite. I couldn’t help but smile to myself, feeling that I truly had the potential to be a profiteer, because I was already planning to tell the woman in red how carefully I had prepared the room for her.
While Cao Jinfie and Leyao were looking through the wedding plan, I, as usual, gazed at Zhuomei, watching the giant neon sign flashing, and for a moment, I felt an unprecedented sense of fatigue. This fatigue did not come from the efforts I had made all along, but from waiting—waiting for heaven to give Zhuomei a perfect outcome, waiting for Mi Cai to return home with a colorful mood… waiting for the wedding between us that had been postponed for so long… no need for extravagance, just simplicity would do!
…
After briefly showing Cao Jinfie and Leyao around the venue inside the mall, we left Zhuomei. After having dinner together, we reached the moment of parting at the hotel entrance. The woman in red left first, and I asked my assistant to send her to the hotel. Cao Jinfie and Leyao stood facing me, and I sincerely said to them with a smile, “Congratulations to you both on your upcoming marriage.”
Leyao didn’t say anything, and Cao Jinfie responded with a smile, saying, “I heard you’ve been waiting for the woman who can marry you. We also wish you both a happy marriage in advance. We’re very curious about what your future bride looks like. We haven’t had the chance to meet her yet.”
Cao Jinfie’s words made me once again confirm that he wasn’t paying attention to the business circle, otherwise he would have known Mi Cai’s appearance, which had recently been frequently featured in financial magazines. But this wasn’t that important. I smiled at him and said, “Soon, she’ll be back. When she returns, I’ll definitely have her invite you both for a meal. You two have really helped Zhuomei a lot this time!”
“No problem, we’re really looking forward to your invitation… then we’ll take our leave first.”
I nodded and called the company driver, reminding him to be careful on the road. Cao Jinfie had already put his arm around Leyao, preparing to leave, but Leyao stopped after walking a few steps and said to Cao Jinfie, “Jinfie, you go back first, okay?… I want to talk to Zhaoyang about CC. She left too suddenly, not even having the chance to attend our wedding. I really feel very sad about it!”
Cao Jinfie hesitated for a moment but still nodded in agreement. Then he said to me, “Then Zhaoyang, please take Leyao home later.”
…
Wearing a mask and a hat, Leyao blended into the Christmas tree-filled street, becoming a mere passerby. People’s attention was focused on the discount promotions of various shops, and no one noticed that she was the beloved national goddess. This was actually better, at least allowing us to walk forward quietly like a pair of friends.
Finally, I spoke to the silent Leyao, “Where do you want to go?”
Leyao didn’t respond.
I guessed, “Not to that place where you can see the railroad tracks and trains, right?…”
I stopped halfway through my sentence because I remembered the last time we went there, it was snowing, and we kissed. Although I had always treated it as a dream, thinking about it now felt like a sin.
Leyao stopped walking and said to me, “I no longer have that place in my heart. Why go there again to look for a non-existent trouble?”
“Oh… then where to? We can’t just wander around the streets like this.”
“Anywhere… We can also walk and talk… Tell me, why did CC leave and say she would never come back?”
“She said she needed a brand new life… We should accept the decision she made out of helplessness.”
“It’s hard to accept. We used to be such close friends, and suddenly we’re saying goodbye forever. She didn’t even have time to attend my wedding. You know, not long ago, she still promised me that she would be my bridesmaid at my wedding.”
“Things are unpredictable. We need to learn to adapt.”
“How can you be so cold-hearted?… CC left, the one who treated you like her little brother all these years. Aren’t you missing her at all?”
I sighed, lit a cigarette, but was unwilling to tell Leyao that on that day, CC had only said goodbye, and I had hugged her and cried uncontrollably… I knew, at this moment, my indifference would prevent Leyao from missing CC any further, otherwise it would lead to another unstoppable crying session.
Leyao sat down on a bench by the street, and I followed her. My coldness finally made her stop talking about CC. After a long silence, she took out two red booklets from her handbag and waved them in front of me, saying, “These are our marriage certificates… Do you want to take a look?”
I looked at her, then at the marriage certificates in her hand, hesitating to speak. A taste spread in my heart…
This woman, who had interacted with me for several years, had finally engraved her name on the marriage certificate. From now on, she was no longer a single girl. Perhaps in jest, I would call her a married woman…
I crushed the cigarette butt and finally took the two marriage certificates from Leyao’s hands, opened them, and looked at them… It felt like I was flipping through a thick book. The book recorded Leyao’s life without marriage for so many years, and on the front page of the book, there was a floating island where smoke rose and songs were sung…
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage