Half a bottle of 1982 Château Lafite was quickly consumed by Xiang Chen and me. Xiang Chen then suggested, “Zhaoyang, finishing this bottle here is such a waste. How about we move to another place to continue drinking?”
I glanced out the window at the freezing rain still falling from the sky and asked, “Where to?”
“I’ve always heard that the scenery along the northern moat of the city is quite nice. Drinking the rest of this Lafite there would give it a proper appreciation. What do you think?” After saying this, Xiang Chen smiled at me, shook the wine glass in his hand, and finished the remaining wine.
Suzhou has many places with beautiful night views, yet Xiang Chen specifically suggested the moat, which seemed rather deliberate. However, I understood his intention. He didn’t want to break the face of our years-long brotherhood, so he subtly reminded me in this indirect way: Jian Wei was his fiancée. Perhaps working together with Jian Wei on our company had never given him a sense of security.
To dispel his doubts, I agreed to finish the bottle of red wine by the moat. However, the freezing rain was just too terrible—it ruined not only my mood but also the scenery along the riverbank!
Xiang Chen had come with a driver, who had been sitting in his Range Rover the entire time. Therefore, I was more convinced that our face-to-face drinking session years later was a deliberate arrangement on his part.
…
Shortly after, we arrived at the riverside, but not the section where Jian Wei and I often coincidentally met. This proved that Jian Wei had never allowed Xiang Chen to find her by the moat. Therefore, Xiang Chen chose this section with the best scenery, which deviated from the original intended location.
Under the umbrellas, Xiang Chen and I stood by the moat railing, while the freezing rain pattered heavily on the umbrellas, dripping down the ribs. We no longer held those elegant wine glasses, only half a bottle of unfinished Lafite remained. Xiang Chen took a sip directly from the bottle, closed his eyes to savor it, and then said to me, “I’ve tasted many vintages of Lafite, except for 1982. Due to differences in the climate and grape-growing conditions of their respective years, the taste varies slightly, but the difference is subtle. Today, I finally tasted the 1982 vintage, but I don’t think it has any particularly unique advantages compared to other years. Yet, its value has increased several, even dozens of times… Haha, people are creatures driven by desire, living in a world blinded by vanity and self-deception.”
Xiang Chen handed me the bottle, indicating that I should also take a sip. I did so, and then he continued, “Therefore, under the influence of desire, men become obsessed with beautiful appearances, prestigious cars, and the vintage of Lafite… Hell, it’s not even obsession anymore—it’s practically superstition!”
I stopped Xiang Chen and said, “Go on.”
“Zhaoyang, do you think my pursuit of Jian Wei over these years has been a twisted form of desire? The more unattainable she is, the more I want her?”
I was somewhat surprised by his words, caught off guard and fell into silence. More importantly, Jian Wei had always been a forbidden topic between us. I disliked him bringing her up, and I certainly never wanted to mention her first.
Without receiving my response, Xiang Chen smiled knowingly, took the bottle of expensive Lafite from me, and drank from it as if it were water, finishing it in one go. Then, silently, he stared at the frozen river surface while I lit a cigarette to cope with the awkward silence.
Finally, Xiang Chen vented his frustration by throwing the bottle of valuable Lafite into the moat and said somewhat uncontrollably, “Another bottle of 1982 Lafite is gone, but it’s nothing significant! It will still rain, the wind will still blow, and the sun will still rise in the east and set in the west… All these values are nothing but hype created by desire…”
“You’re drunk!”
Xiang Chen turned to face me, and after a brief moment, he placed his left hand on my shoulder and said in a self-mocking tone, “Zhaoyang, a few days ago I proposed to Jian Wei… Well, you probably know the result already… Career was still her best excuse. In the end, she just didn’t love me enough… It’s okay, I’ve waited all these years, so I don’t mind wasting my youth waiting for her… As for you, when are you planning to marry Mi, the CEO of Zhuo Mei?”
“After she comes back from overseas, it shouldn’t be too long.”
Xiang Chen nodded and said, “I’m really looking forward to having a few good drinks with you at your wedding.”
“Sure, I’ll drink as much as you want.”
Xiang Chen slightly lifted the corner of his mouth, then removed his hand from my shoulder, turned around, and gazed at the scenery around the moat. After a long while, he smiled with a complex expression and sighed, “The scenery here by the moat is truly beautiful. Even under this freezing rain, its charm remains. I wonder, does Jian Wei like this place? Or is there another riverside view that I don’t know about?”
I puffed on my cigarette, as always unwilling to talk with Xiang Chen about anything related to Jian Wei. Deep down, I even secretly hoped that Xiang Chen would eventually end up with Jian Wei. I also wanted to break free from Lukoo, the company I founded but which was actually funded by Jian Wei. Although she had convinced me before, I had never stopped thinking about leaving Lukoo. Accurately speaking, I had never stopped wanting to be free from Jian Wei’s financial support. I always held high hopes for Lukoo and the artistic path project, even considering it my dream. Perhaps one day I could achieve it through my own efforts, steadily and firmly, without ever fearing the height I might reach after taking off.
…
Xiang Chen and I parted ways on the riverside. He left in his Range Rover, accompanied by his driver, while I stood by the roadside, waiting for a passing taxi under my umbrella. I had declined his kind offer to give me a ride because at that moment, I preferred to be alone in this freezing rain, even if it meant walking back if no taxi came.
On this freezing rainy night, I ultimately couldn’t find a taxi along this rarely traveled section of the moat. I lit a cigarette, walking while thinking about things, and then had a strong premonition: before this year’s Chinese New Year, my life would definitely undergo a qualitative change, and this transformation would begin with Mi’s return from overseas.
Tired from walking, I sat on a bus stop bench by the roadside, avoiding the headlights coming from both sides of the road, still immersed in my thoughts. I thought of CC again, wondering where she was now. I hoped she was in a place with sunshine, unlike the coldness of Suzhou, so I could envy her, envy her courage to cast everything aside… Thus, I took out my phone and found the intimate photos I had taken with her before. Her smile was still so infectious, and the cigarette between her fingers added to her charm… I silently prayed: tonight, she would have a peaceful sleep, and I hoped that one day in the future, we might meet by chance in a completely unfamiliar place… She would still be playing the guitar, singing songs, with a beer always within reach.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage